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Thrift shop "diamonds in the rough"

October 24, 2011

I did buy an acid tester for different metals, however I have yet to use it and unfortunately it's not something you can take with you to a store. My question I have seen asked several times before but never with a realistic answer:

Without markings (since old items very well may have lost their marking or may not have had one to begin with, HOW CAN YOU TELL AT A STORE BEFORE YOU BUY.....IS IT PURE SILVER, OR SILVER PLATED? I hope someone can answer that for me. It's driving me crazy when I am out there. And I understand the magnet, or the pinkish hue marks..... but what if it doesn't cling to a magnet, and there are no hues except yellowish and almost burnt coloring. And the idea to try and break it will get you kicked out fast. Please help!
Respectfully,

Lynn Fletcher
Hobbysit - Cathedral city, California, USA

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