I know this is not really a coin question except maybe now and then, but say you are at a flea market or garage sale and find a ring or necklace or whatever that you suspect is silver or gold, how would you go about deciding it it was and not just plated. Curious to know if there are any tips or tricks to knowing what your looking at, without running chemical tests?
well, if its jewelery, or silverware, it should say it on. For silver it should say ".925" "925" or simply "sterling" but, if it's plated it will say "sterling on copper" or something like that (hopefully). As for gold, on jewelery it should say the carat amount "14k" "18k" etc. If its plated, it should say something like "24k plated" or "gold filled"
