Testing Authenticity Of Sterling Silver: An Explanation Of The Ice Test
Posted on: 20 August 2015
Investing about 10% of your financial portfolio in precious metals like gold and silver may be a good idea. Precious metals do not tend to deflate much in value, and will keep their intrinsic value. If you don't have a lot of funds to invest, silver may be a better option than gold because its value is significantly lower. There are plenty of precious metal sellers, like The Jewelry Buyer, that you can purchase silver from. However, you need to be sure your silver is authentic. You can perform like the ice test to verify the purity and authenticity of sterling silver bars before you purchase them.
How the Ice Test Works
The ice test is quite simple. You place the sterling silver bar being tested on a flat surface – preferably made from metal like an iron pan. Then, you place an ice cube on the flat surface and watch the rate at which the ice melts. Next, place another ice cube directly onto the sterling silver piece being purchased. The ice cube should melt at a considerably faster rate. It will melt significantly faster if it is placed on pure sterling silver rather than a silver alloy.
Why the Ice Test Works
The million dollar question on everybody's mind is "Why does the ice test work?" Why does sterling silver melt ice as if it was placed on a hot surface? The answer is relatively simple. Sterling silver is one of the best conductors of thermal energy. In fact, it has a thermal conduction value of about 430W/(mK), which far surpasses any other type of precious metal like gold or palladium.
This basically means that the surface of sterling silver will cause heat to be transferred from the silver to the ice cube at a molecular level through conduction. Conduction is the transfer of heat through physical contact. Silver is such a good conductor that the conductive properties of other precious metals are measured relative to silver.
Conclusion
Although an ice test can give you an idea regarding whether the suspected silver piece is authentic, it does not necessarily measure the purity of the silver. There are many additional tests that can be performed for a more thorough analysis, like an acid test. The ice test is, however, extremely convenient and easy to perform. You'll get a good idea whether there is a possibility that what you are purchasing is made from sterling silver.
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