How do I recognize a silver utensil?
Being visually impaired, looking at the color of a utensil doesn't tell me whether it's silver or not, so I'm wondering if there are other easy ways than simply "tasting the utensil" to tell if it is silver or (stainless) steel.
I'm wondering mainly because I've understood placing silver items in the dishwasher may cause discoloration in both the stainless steel and the silver itself.
Best Answer
This isn't a perfect test, but a magnet won't stick to a silver utensil whereas it will stick to most other metal utensils (i.e., stainless steel).
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Quick Answer about "How do I recognize a silver utensil?"
Buff the silverware to a shine with a soft, nonabrasive white cloth. If the silverware is real, it will leave a slight (or not so slight) black mark. Real silver chemically reacts with oxygen to form a patina (tarnish) while silver plating bonds to the underlying metal, so stainless steel will leave no such mark.How can I tell if my utensils are silver?
Look for the Marking Sterling Silver Sterling silverware made in the USA after roughly the 1850s always has a marking: either Sterling or 925. If your silverware does not have this marking, it's most likely not real silver. spoons, you'll see this marking on the back of the handle.How can you tell if something is silver or silver plate?
If you do not see the sterling marking, the item is probably silver plated. Check the colouring of the item carefully; genuine silver is generally less shiny and colder in tone than silverplate. If you see places where the silver appears to be flaking off or turning green, the item is silver plated.How can you tell if its silver or steel?
Check the Label FirstIf it has a small inscription on it which says 'ster' or 'sterling', it means that the silver in the item is 92.5% or close to pure silver. Another symbol to look out for is 'IS' which means that it is international silver or silver plated.How to look at silver flatware in thrift store to see if it is silver!!!!
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Answer 2
Unfortunately, not knowing the state of your utensils, answering 'silver feels rough' implies your utensils are already slightly tarnished. My recommendation is, assuming that we are referring to a limited amount of silverware that you will be using infrequently anyway, store it separately so that you have a mental organization of where the silver is.
Obviously this will not help if you are holding two spoons; one silver and one stainless in your hand. However, you likely will be able to commit to memory a sense of contrast between the weighting/balance of how each one feels in your hand and a comparison between the actual shape/design of the two.
Answer 3
To answer the related question: if you put PURE silver in the dishwasher with ANY OTHER METAL, it will discolor (two metals in an electrolyte cause galvanic coupling). You should also only use mild soaps. Nothing harsh (Most soaps will say "safe for silver" or something similar). If you put plated silver in the dishwasher, it can set up a galvanic reaction with itself...And it doesn't take much to wash the plating off, so you should never put plated silver in the wash.
However, if you do a silver-only load (or silver and glass), and you use a mild soap, you should have no problems.
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