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You can tell real silver from counterfeit metal by testing your item’s response to a magnetic field. Read on to discover exactly how to perform this technique, and how to interpret the results of your experiment.
Here we show a test so see tests is silver magnetic by using some rare-earth magnets, called neodymium magnets. As well magnet sensitivity tests show how silver and various other precious metals react
Silver, in its pure form, is not magnetic. If a piece of silver attracts a magnet strongly, it's likely that the item is not pure silver but rather a silver-plated material with a magnetic core.
Silver being diamagnetic in nature, it weakly repels a magnet in the presence of an applied external magnetic field. It is due to the availability of only one lone electron within the atom, which makes it a weak paramagnet but a strong diamagnet.
Silver, including pure silver (.999) and sterling silver (92.5% silver with 7.5% usually copper), is not magnetic. This characteristic is useful for distinguishing genuine silver from other metals or alloys that may have magnetic properties.
If you’re wondering, “is silver magnetic?”, the short answer is no; it is not attracted to magnets. Silver is actually diamagnetic, meaning it exhibits a slight repulsion to magnetic fields. This fundamental property of silver is integral in various applications and even in testing its authenticity.
Silver does not stick to a magnet and therefore making it non-magnetic. Its electrons do not align in the same direction, causing zero magnetic effect. Sterling silver is made up of 92.5% silver making it non-magnetic. Interestingly silver is the most conductive metal due to its free electrons.
As we’ve established, pure silver is not magnetic. So if you find your item attracted to a magnet, chances are it’s not pure silver or is silver-plated over a magnetic metal. However, this test is not conclusive since many non-silver metals are non-magnetic.
Pure silver is not magnetic, but if it contains impurities or is alloyed with other metals, it may become slightly magnetic. For example, sterling silver, which is an alloy of silver and copper, is not magnetic, but it may contain small amounts of iron, which can make it weakly magnetic.
Despite questions about its magnetic properties, silver is not magnetic. It is classified as diamagnetic, meaning it is slightly repelled by magnetic fields, and thus, permanent magnets cannot adhere to pure silver. Many people also wonder if sterling silver is magnetic.