Silver & A Magnet

A silver ring? Nope. TTC
 

Not if its a precious metal. Here is a good question. Is the ring attracted to the magnet, or is the magnet attracted to the ring? :icon_scratch:
 

Silver is diamagnetic. You can feel a slight repulsion if you use a rare earth magnet.
 

Silver is diamagnetic. You can feel a slight repulsion if you use a rare earth magnet.
ALL materials exhibit a certain amount of diamagnetism. Even water. Even magnetic materials! Some materials show more of the property than others but I believe it would be so slight in silver that it would have to be demonstrated under laboratory conditions. TTC
 

Cool might have found a silver ring. No magnetic pull.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ALL materials exhibit a certain amount of diamagnetism. Even water. Even magnetic materials! Some materials show more of the property than others but I believe it would be so slight in silver that it would have to be demonstrated under laboratory conditions. TTC


No, its easily felt on silver. Get a good Neo magnet (stronger the better, but 20# is plenty) and try it yourself. The larger the piece of silver the better. Half a dollar is Easy to feel; you may beed to work up to a dime.

To make it even easier, place the silver on a inclined glass slope where the coin is almost sliding and 'push' the coin with the magnet. This is my GoTo check when buying scrap silver.
 

Cool might have found a silver ring. No magnetic pull.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Try the diamagnetic test I outlined above or an acid test. Theres a lot of gray metals that aren't magnetic but aren't silver.
 

No, its easily felt on silver. Get a good Neo magnet (stronger the better, but 20# is plenty) and try it yourself. The larger the piece of silver the better. Half a dollar is Easy to feel; you may beed to work up to a dime.

To make it even easier, place the silver on a inclined glass slope where the coin is almost sliding and 'push' the coin with the magnet. This is my GoTo check when buying scrap silver.

Martin Simon of UCLA physics lab, in part: "The forces created by diamagnetism are extremely weak, millions of times smaller than the forces between magnets and such common ferromagnetic materials as iron. However, in certain carefully arranged situations... " Doesn't sound like your every day field test would do it. TTC
 

BTW I have 3 50 pounders. I am not at all saying you cannot move a piece of silver using this property, just that it is not a thing that can be "felt" in the hand. The difference between one metal and another would not be possible to discern. TTC
 

Last edited:
Terry, I don't know what to tell you except that it is very easy to do. I have shown numerous people the effect and it is easily noticed. Have you tried it yet? (btw, your example doesn't apply)

You must have a rare earth magnet; normal ones aren't strong enough /sq inch. I read about it years ago in Wiki and didn't believe it until I actually tried it. You don't have to move anything, just feel the effect of the resistance. Again, it is VERY easy to notice with a strong neo magnet and a large piece of silver such as a half dollar. Even if all you have is a pre65 dime, you should be able to feel it.

If your 50#er is a rare earth magnet, Try It.

eta: you can push a pre65 dime across flat glass with a 60# rare earth magnet. I just did it.
 

Last edited:
Terry, I don't know what to tell you except that it is very easy to do. I have shown numerous people the effect and it is easily noticed. Have you tried it yet? (btw, your example doesn't apply)

You must have a rare earth magnet; normal ones aren't strong enough /sq inch. I read about it years ago in Wiki and didn't believe it until I actually tried it. You don't have to move anything, just feel the effect of the resistance. Again, it is VERY easy to notice with a strong neo magnet and a large piece of silver such as a half dollar. Even if all you have is a pre65 dime, you should be able to feel it.

If your 50#er is a rare earth magnet, Try It.

eta: you can push a pre65 dime across flat glass with a 60# rare earth magnet. I just did it.
I've got three fifty pound pull rare earths. I'll dust them off, if I can find them and give it a try. Give me a little while. TTC
 

No hurry.
fyi, I am not some huggyfeely new ager or mystic. I consider myself a scientist and live by the scientific method.

As a rockhound, I also use the neo magnets and diamagnetic properties to help ID certain gemstones. The effect in rocks is weaker tho so what we do there is to float the stone/gem on a tiny styrofoam raft and push it with the magnet.
(chart I use: https://static.secure.website/wscfus/7885803/5552138/a57-ms-index-best-for-website.pdf )
 

Last edited:
Here you go Champ. As you can see..... no push...... Your turn. TTC

 

Is the ring attracted to the magnet, or is the magnet attracted to the ring?

Actually, neither, being diamagnetic, it is repelled by a magnet. If it is paramagnetic or ferromagnetic, it is attracted to a magnet.

Interesting video

 

Last edited:
Ok..... I was able to move the dime by hanging it on a foot-long piece of tape. Neat! But no way strong enough to "feel" the repulse in hand. I have no doubt the property exists. I just don't believe it is strong enough to use as a guide to identifying silver "except" in controlled conditions. TTC
 

I'd like to "like" your post, Seeker, but it won't let me. TTC
 

How strong is your magnet Terry? Most folks I show the effect to don't feel it with a 60# and dime the first time. We then go to the half, then the quarter, and then they can feel the dime. You need to feel the effect to learn it apparently. My method is to hold the coin in my palm and lightly swing the magnet over it; a very light holding of the magnet is key. I can feel it on a dime with a 10# neo magnet but I have done it for years.

And you can believe it or not. Its still America after all. Some people say things that certain metal detectors cant do but others just snicker and keep finding stuff.
 

Here is another test for silver- a scale, and a graduated cylinder half full of water.

Just get the ring's weight and volume. Pure silver has a density of 10.5 grams per a cubic centimeter, much denser than base metals. Sterling will have a lower density that fine silver, probably around 9g/cc, 10g/cc maybe. Not an absolute test, but if it ain't dense enough it ain't silver.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Discussions

Back
Top Bottom