Silver necklace...I think

[sgtled3533]

So I got this necklace on my last hunt as well. Found it in town in a tot-lot. At first I got really excited because I thought it was gold. It was sooo tarnished, and had a really consistent golden hue. Anyways, after I retrieved it and looked for markings, I noticed it had an "Italy-925" on the lobster latch. I got sad, but then I thought, "well, at least it's not fake!" But once I got it home and really gave it a good look and cleaning, it just didn't look right. I did do a simple treatment to try and sparkle it up a bit, and I did bring out a little more shine, but I'm still not completely sold...

Have there been fakes ever found or known of with the classic 925 hallmark? Or do y'all think this is legit? I've found a good number of sterling silver jewelry pieces but again, I just felt weird about this one. It's probably 16" in length, very thin and weighs in at about 3.5 grams.

Thanks for any advice! HH

Sgt



P.S.
I tried my best to get a good pic of the hallmark but my iPhone just didn't want to focus. Also, as I look at the pics I took, it looks a lot more silver in the light of the photo compared to its actual color. But you get the idea thanks again.

 

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[jerseyben]

There is no reason for it to be fake.

 

[sgtled3533]

There is no reason for it to be fake.

Yeah I wouldn't think so, but I guess it was just a general question regarding 925 jewelry. Was curious if there's been known 925 fakes ever found. Thanks for your response..

 

[trapperart]

Nice find congrats

 

[ARC]

Yeah I wouldn't think so, but I guess it was just a general question regarding 925 jewelry. Was curious if there's been known 925 fakes ever found. Thanks for your response..

Yes there are fakes ... tons of em... but this to me... as well... looks legit.
IF...
In doubt take it to your nearest jeweler or pawn shop and ask them to test it for sure.
OR...
Buy a test kit. ... just for times like these

 

[Carolina Tom]

AARC is always all over it. There are fakes, and I have seen one that said "925 Italy". Yours looks good to me.

Look at it closely, with a loop, where the links rub together, if it looks good there, it's good. The first place they usually "pop" is where there is metal to metal contact.

Congrats!

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

I always find goodies in Fresburg when I go to Woodward or Roeding.I think Wal-Mart sells those chains.I've seen some there.

 

[against the wind]

Yep, looking at that picture, , it looks good.
If there is a market for anything that is worth counterfeiting, then there will always be the possibility of it being fake.
Congrats on a nice find.

 

[digger27]

I have found a few fake silver chains, had a 925 Italy mark on a couple too but the second I pulled them out of the ground you could tell they weren't real.
Fakes just don't look too good if they spend too much time in the dirt.
Those found in tot lot chips do fair better, however.
925 means a mix of silver and usually copper...that small copper content has been known to tarnish silver to a yellow tinge which is just another form of tarnish.

Do you know the scientific way to clean silver?
Get a small pan and mix up some baking soda and salt with some water not enough to make a sludge but a little thick like heavy cream.
Cover the bottom of the pan with this slurry about 1/4" and boil it.
When it starts to bubble place a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of the pan an place the chain on top of that for a few seconds.
Stir it around a bit and make sure all parts of the chain touch the foil while immersed in the liquid.
All tarnish should be drawn right off the chain, if it is silver, and into the foil.
If it turns silver color it will not be shiney but more of a matte look and a little polishing will restore the shine.

On some jewelry I do it this way and it works well especially on pieces with nooks and crannies that make it too hard to polish by hand like this very tarnished silver ring in the pics below.


This one looks pretty good but clean it this way or test it when you can to be sure.

 

[mikeinOC1]

I found one large thick but short sliver chain marked 925 Italy . It was so big I had a feeling it was fake. Found in dry sand at the beach. It was clearly a recent drop and then the unmistakable flash of copper was showing through the sliver plating in spots. I tend to notice the smaller and thinner the recent drops of jewelry down here in So Cal the less likely a fake. Like one of the others mentioned an acid test kit is nice to have. Even for sliver. Not that expensive for the test kits. Hope yours is real. Unfortunately I have found my share of fakes. Even a fake Rolex once but it is the fake gold that irritates me most.

 

[Trezurehunter]

I am with all of the rest. There are fakes out there, but yours looks good in the picture. Like they said, buy a test kit or take it to your favorite jeweler !

 

[sgtled3533]

I found one large thick but short sliver chain marked 925 Italy . It was so big I had a feeling it was fake. Found in dry sand at the beach. It was clearly a recent drop and then the unmistakable flash of copper was showing through the sliver plating in spots. I tend to notice the smaller and thinner the recent drops of jewelry down here in So Cal the less likely a fake. Like one of the others mentioned an acid test kit is nice to have. Even for sliver. Not that expensive for the test kits. Hope yours is real. Unfortunately I have found my share of fakes. Even a fake Rolex once but it is the fake gold that irritates me most.

Hey thanks for the reply. Yeah it is irritating finding fake stuff. And I'm sure fake gold is the worst. I found a ring the other day I thought FOR SURE was another gold ring but as soon as I pulled it from the hole and put it in my hand, I could tell it was just a well-made junker :/ never fun!

 

[sgtled3533]

Thanks everyone. Looks like a test kit is needed in the near future! Thanks again!

 

[gunsil]

There are a lot of sterling (and so marked) chains that have been rhodium plated for tarnish resistance. After a while the rhodium will often start to come off in tiny flakes and there will be uneven tarnish where this occurs. I think your chain is OK also.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congratualtions on the nice silver chain!