Or, Born With A Silver Spoon?
Silver isn't the sort of thing that local recyclers usually buy but it does come in occasionally so I thought I'd tell you a little bit about silver as it pertains to the
Identification and Preparation of Post-consumer Recyclables.
When it comes to modern consumer products, silver is rarely found in large volumes but used to be quite common around the home. And from time to time these old products make their way to the local recycling center. The most common post consumer silvers are found in jewelry and silver cutlery commonly called, silverware but as any jeweler likely will tell you, if it isn't marked as Fine Silver or Sterling Silver then it's probably of little value. You see, genuine Silversmiths tend to be quite proud of their works and rarely make a piece that isn't signed and noted as to its purity.
Silver and gold are also commonly found in consumer electronics but not in volumes that most recyclers are able to recover.
While many believe that the black tarnish that is commonly found on unkempt silver is a sign of purity it is actually the opposite as
pure silver almost never tarnishes. I'm not saying the silver flatware that was passed down from your great grandmother is worthless but that its value probably lies in who made it and when it was made rather than how much silver it actually contains. Fact is: pure silver is so soft that almost nothing is made from pure silver.
When identifying the metal silver we start with the magnet test. If a magnet sticks to it then it ain't silver. Next we look for the words, "Fine Silver" or "Sterling Silver." And if neither of these words can be found then we look for the words, "Silver Plate." If any of those words can be found then it's safe to assume the item in question contains some silver though only a thin coating when it comes to Silver Plate. And if you see the words, German Silver" then be very suspect.
If the item in question sticks to a magnet then most of its make-up is iron or steel. In the case of flatware, if the magnet doesn't stick and isn't marked as silver then what you're eating your eggs with is either Stainless Steel or an alloy that is sometimes called, White Brass or Nickel Silver.
If you hit the surface of stainless steel fork with an electric grinder you'll see sparks. No markings, no attraction to magnets and no sparks is an indicator that what you're holding is made of the metal known as White Brass or Nickel Silver-- an alloy containing copper, nickel and zinc but no silver
A few musical instruments such as flutes and saxophones are sometimes made of sterling silver. Again, look for the markings.
There is an acid test you can use to determine silver content but because of the potential dangers to life and limb I'll not go into specifics.
This post was made possible by
motorized bicycle dealers like
EZ Motorbikes of Greensboro.
Sun, December 6, 2009 at 8:35 
