Hope this is in the right place to ask,if something is silver plated would a magnet stick to it and if it does not stick would the chances be good it was silver,this is a serving set made for a retirement gift,how could i check to see if it is silver,thanks
(1) A magnet will stick to a silver-plated item made of a ferrous metal or pure nickle, and won't stick to an item made of a non-magnetic metal. In other words, the presence or absence of magnetism says absolutely nothing about whether a shiny silvery colored item is silver plated. (2) In the case of commercially manufactured flatware or holloware, there is almost always a hallmark somewhere on the bottom, indicating the purity of the silver (solid items) or the plating used. (For high quality items a hallmark is always present. Without such a mark I would greatly doubt that there is any silver content; but I'm pretty sure a qualified jeweler could examine the piece and authenticate or debunk it for you.
I've learned from visiting antique shops that most of the "silver" sets for sale aren't silver. I'd like to know more about sterling but there doesn't seem to be a book or good place to learn. I'm sure there are as many sterling bargains out there as there are coin bargains.
