New! #4! How to Sort Silver Plate from Sterling Silver

In this video we take a pile of flatware and work through it, noting what to look for to identify Silver Plate, Sterling Silver, and Coin Silver. We also discuss identifying Sterling Handled items, and Sterling items that have enamel on them. Overall this is a video for helping you to grab these pieces when you see them out and about at Garage Sales and Thrift Shops. Maybe even the stray antique store, not everything that is solid silver is marked as such... If you find the content useful please drop me a like, subscribe, and leave a comment. If it is handy I can make more videos like this. If you have specific questions just let me know and I'll see what I can do about answering. The Tools: A Cheap Loupe: https://amzn.to/4fWPjIy ($7USD at the time of upload) Good Magnets: https://amzn.to/4hf65nd ($7USD at the time of upload) The Gold Test Kit: https://amzn.to/4kugYnt The Scale: https://amzn.to/43EKBvM ($6USD at the time of upload) - Also of note: these scales are branded all sorts of things but all seem to be manufactured by the same outfit. As far as I know they are all the same, they just sell for different prices. #silver #sterling #silverware This video by Treasure Everywhere! is a guide on how to differentiate between silver plate and solid silver when treasure hunting at thrift shops, garage sales, or antique stores (0:29). The host emphasizes that while silver plate contains a small amount of silver, it's generally not enough for realistic extraction, unlike solid silver which is quite valuable (0:40-1:00). Key takeaways for identifying solid silver: Checking for Wear (1:50): Examine pieces for corrosion or wear that exposes a base metal underneath. If the piece is silver plate, the underlying metal (brass, nickel silver, or copper) will show through (2:07-2:12, 4:25-4:30). Solid silver will not show a different metal when worn (4:38-4:42). Tarnish and Engraving (3:23): Solid silver often develops a deep, black tarnish, especially in engravings, without exposing a different metal underneath (3:55-4:00). A "rainbow shimmer" or toning can also indicate old silver (18:00-18:13). Maker's Markings (4:45): While markings should be checked last to avoid "poisoning the well" (4:56-5:02), specific marks like "Sterling," "International Sterling," or numerical hallmarks like "800" (indicating 80% silver) or "830s" (indicating 83% silver) confirm solid silver (4:45-4:50, 6:21-6:32, 7:57-8:15, 14:28-14:34, 19:41-19:43). Conversely, marks like "A1" or "90" (in Europe) indicate silver plate (5:58-6:06, 15:54-16:05). Flexibility Test (12:28): Be wary of pieces that bend too easily, as they might be lead-content pewter and not precious metal (12:40-12:53). Appearance Can Be Deceiving (17:09): Sometimes, sterling silver can look "too good" or have a gold wash, but verifying the sterling mark is crucial (14:08-14:15, 17:09-17:23). Also, pieces in bad shape can still be solid silver (19:46-20:15). The video demonstrates these principles by examining various pieces of flatware, including spoons and forks, highlighting both silver plate and solid silver examples (1:34-21:30).