The short version: check the stamp, then a magnet, then rub it on a white cloth — real silver leaves a black mark. Those rule things out. Only an acid test or an XRF reading, done by a jeweller, can confirm a piece is what it claims. No home test catches a thick plating over brass.
Silver is faked more casually than gold, because the sums are smaller and the buyer is less likely to check. The good news is that silver has unusual physical properties — it is the best heat conductor of any metal, it is not magnetic, and it oxidises visibly — and each of those gives you a test.
1. The stamp
Look for 925, S925 or Sterling. Fine silver reads 999; older or imported work sometimes reads 800. On a chain the stamp is usually on the clasp or a small tag beside it; on a ring, inside the band; on a bangle, on the inner face near the join.
No stamp is a reason to ask questions, not to walk away — small workshops sometimes leave fine work unstamped rather than distort it with a punch. But a stamp is a claim made by whoever made the piece. Pakistan does not enforce hallmarking across the retail trade, so nothing independent stands behind it.
2. The magnet
Silver is not magnetic. Hold a strong magnet close: any pull means a ferrous metal is in there, and the piece is not solid silver. Fridge magnets are too weak to be conclusive — use a proper one.
What this misses: brass, copper, nickel and lead are all non-magnetic too. Passing the magnet test eliminates one family of fakes and says nothing about the rest.
3. The white cloth rub
The most useful free test, and the most counter-intuitive. Rub the piece firmly on a clean white cloth. A black or grey mark means the piece is probably real — that is surface oxidation coming off, and it is exactly what silver does.
A cloth that stays perfectly clean suggests plating or a non-silver base. Green or yellow marks point to copper or brass content well beyond what sterling contains.
4. The ice test
Silver conducts heat better than any other metal. Put an ice cube on the piece and one on a coin or a steel spoon: on real silver the ice visibly melts faster. It works best on something flat with a bit of mass — a cuff, a heavy pendant — and tells you little on a thin chain.
Suggestive rather than conclusive, but it is genuinely hard to fake and costs nothing.
5. Acid or XRF — the one that counts
XRF reads composition without damaging the piece and returns a purity number in seconds. Any established jeweller or dealer will have one, and most will test a piece for a small fee. Acid testing is the older method: a scratch on a testing stone, graded acid, a colour reaction. Accurate in experienced hands and it removes a trace of metal.
Either is worth doing before a serious purchase, and either settles the question the other four tests can only circle.
THE TWO THINGS NO HOME TEST CATCHES
Thick plating. Every surface test is testing the surface. A well-made silver plating over brass passes the cloth rub, the magnet and the ice test, because the outside really is silver.
925 against 999. A few percentage points of composition is far beyond what any kitchen method resolves. If the distinction matters — and it changes the price — it takes a machine. What actually rides on it is set out in 925 vs 999 silver.
Tests worth skipping
Bleach, vinegar and "scratch it and see" circulate widely and are close to useless: they test the plating on a plated piece, and several of them will damage a genuine one. There is no reason to pour household chemicals on something you have just paid for.
The receipt does more than any test
Testing tells you about the metal today. The receipt protects you in five years, when nobody remembers the conversation. It should record weight in grams, the stated purity, the making charge separately from the metal, and any stone priced separately. The rest of the counter conversation is in buying silver jewellery in Pakistan.
Common questions
Does real silver leave a black mark on cloth?
Yes — and it is a good sign. The black is silver oxide coming off the surface, which is exactly what silver does when it meets air. A cloth that stays perfectly clean suggests plating or a non-silver base; green or yellow marks suggest heavy copper or brass content.
Is the magnet test enough to prove silver is real?
No. It only proves the piece contains no magnetic metal. Brass, copper, nickel, lead and tungsten are all non-magnetic and all get used in fakes. It is a useful first filter and nothing more.
Can silver-plated jewellery pass home tests?
Yes, routinely. Every home test examines the surface, and on a plated piece the surface genuinely is silver. Plating is only reliably detected by weight-and-density inconsistencies, by wear at the edges over time, or by a professional test.
Where can I get silver tested in Pakistan?
Any established jeweller or dealer with an XRF machine, which most now have. Many will test a piece free for customers or for a nominal fee. For anything expensive, test before paying rather than after.