Telling difference between fine silver, sterling and plated

[TiaraHelen]

I have got in a bit of a muddle with all my wires, and though most are identified, there are a couple of smaller rolls where I can't remember whether they are fine, sterling or sp copper.  are there any fail safe methods of distinguishing them, please?

[Pam]

I had exactly the same problem last week between silver plate and silver. What I did was file the end and the sp revealed the copper. Close one though!!

[mizgeorge]

SP is easy - just file (emery board is fine) round an end and you'll see the colour of the copper come through.

As for the others, fine is generally much softer (and more breakable) than sterling. If I want to be sure, though, I just put an end in a torch flame (gas stove will work if you haven't got a butane torch). Fine will ball up very quickly and will have no firescale, where sterling will be much slower, and may even break if you haven't used flux, and will be firescaled.

hth

[silverlemon]

If you have identified the plated wire, you could try testing the fine and sterling wire using a torch.

The sterling goes black when it's been heated then cooled, your fine silver will stay silver or at least any dullness will wipe off easily. Also the fine silver is much softer as it has fewer alloys to make it hard (the other reason why it stays clean after heating).

[silverlemon]

oooh look, posted same info at the same time 

[mizgeorge]

great minds petal.......

[TiaraHelen]

Thanks my dears, knew I could get the answer I need!

[Pat from Canvey]

Great tip!

[Pauline]

Sorry to resurrect a really old post, but would the torch method work on BHB grommets as well?  before I started lamp working I bought a load of far eastern BHB's which were advertised as having 925 grommets.  needless to say I was disappointed in the quality of the lampworking (one of the reasons I started making my own) but the grommets are stamped 925 and don't appear to be plated copper (filed good amount off and no change in colour) 
obviously if they are silver I would like to reuse them but don't want to sell under false pretences
thank you in advance
Pauline