How to Identify Real 925 Silver: A Buyer's Guide from 57 Years of Silversmithing

By the silversmiths at Silverworld — handcrafting hallmarked 925 sterling silver in Delhi since 1968.

Every week, someone walks into our Janpath store with jewellery they bought elsewhere and asks the same question: “Is this real silver?” After 57 years and three generations at the workbench, we can usually tell in seconds. Here is exactly what we look for — so you can check any piece yourself, whether you bought it from us or not.

What does 925 actually mean?

Pure silver is too soft for jewellery — it bends and scratches with daily wear. So genuine silver jewellery is made from sterling silver: 92.5% pure silver alloyed with 7.5% other metals (usually copper) for strength. That is what the “925” stamp certifies. Anything sold as “silver” without this standard — “German silver”, “silver-plated”, “silver-tone” — contains little or no actual silver.

1. Find the hallmark

Genuine sterling silver carries a small stamp — “925”, “S925” or “Sterling” — usually on the clasp, the inner band of a ring, or the back of a pendant. In India, look additionally for the BIS hallmark: a laser-etched mark certifying purity under the Bureau of Indian Standards. No stamp anywhere? Treat the piece as suspect. (A stamp alone is not absolute proof — counterfeits exist — which is why the tests below matter too.)

2. The magnet test

Silver is not magnetic. Hold a strong magnet (a fridge magnet works, a neodymium magnet works better) to the piece. If it pulls, the core is iron or steel with silver plating. If it doesn't, the piece passes this test — though note that brass and copper fakes also pass, so combine this with the other checks.

3. The tarnish logic

Real silver tarnishes — it slowly develops a soft grey-black film as it reacts with sulphur in the air, and polishes back to brilliance with a cloth. This is normal and reversible; it is how silver behaves. Fake “silver” either never changes (stainless steel, rhodium-plated brass) or corrodes with green spots (copper alloys). Green residue on your skin is copper's signature, never silver's.

4. Weight, sound and feel

Silver is dense. A sterling bangle feels noticeably heavier than a brass one of the same size. Gently tapped, silver rings with a soft, sustained chime rather than a dull click. And silver warms quickly in your hand — it conducts heat faster than almost any metal. These are the checks our own craftsmen use before a piece ever reaches the counter.

5. The price logic

Silver has a live market price. As of 2026, the metal alone in a genuine 20-gram sterling bangle costs several hundred rupees before any craftsmanship. If a “925 silver” bangle is selling for ₹199, the arithmetic simply does not work — you are buying plated brass. Fair sterling silver jewellery in India generally starts around ₹1,000–1,500 for small pieces, and heavier statement pieces cost proportionally more.

Where you buy matters more than any test

Every test above can be fooled by a determined counterfeiter — except one thing: a seller with an address and a reputation to lose. Buy from jewellers who hallmark their pieces, state purity in writing, and have stood behind their silver for years. That accountability is the real guarantee.

It is why we put our three store addresses on every page of our website. Silverworld has hallmarked every piece we sell since 1968 — you can walk into our stores at Janpath, Lajpat Nagar, or AIPL Joy Street Gurugram and test any piece in person, or order the same hallmarked silver at silverworld.co with a 7-day easy exchange.

Quick answers

Is 925 silver real silver? Yes — 925 (sterling) silver is 92.5% pure silver, the international standard for genuine silver jewellery.

Does real silver turn black? Yes, slowly — tarnish is natural and polishes off. Green marks, however, mean copper or brass, not silver.

Does 925 silver stick to a magnet? No. If it sticks, it is not silver.

How do I check silver at home? Find the 925 stamp, test with a magnet, check the weight and warmth, and apply the price logic — genuine sterling cannot be cheap.

Where can I buy certified 925 silver in Delhi? Silverworld's three stores — Janpath, Lajpat Nagar 2, and AIPL Joy Street Gurugram — have sold hallmarked sterling silver since 1968, and every piece is also available online at silverworld.co.