How can you tell if it's silver?

[Meringue33]

I have a bunch of jewellery that looks kind of silver coloured but has gone tarnished. Does this mean it's not silver? Should I chuck it away? Any help gratefully appreciated...

silver does tarnish.

first point of call is to check for a hallmark - although a lot of silver plate is not hallmarked (and some silver stuff isn't hallmarked either)

I wouldn't throw it away just because it is tarnished - hae you tried polishing it up? do you like the jewellery, and would want to keep/wear it if not tarnished?

does it have a hallmark?
925 suggests sterling silver which means it might polish up?

I took a mixture of mine to one of those shops and they used a magnet to tell if it was gold and silver. If plated it sticks to the magnet.
Also check for hallmarks but some of mine was so small couldn't see with the naked eye!

Cool, thanks guys! What do you use to polish/ remove tarnish?

If you don't have any polish, plain white toothpaste will do (no bits in!) - rub on and rinse off.

If it's got black tarnish, it is either silver or silver plate. Silver is hallmarked, silver plate isn't.

Goddards Silver Pad (formerly known as Silver Foam) is a sort of pink soap and a very good long-term polish. You use it over the sink so you can rinse off.

Silver Dip gives a very bright, slightly matt de-tarnish, but does not stay clean so long, and does not give the dull gleam of polished silver.

John Lewis does an own-brand version which seems the same.

If you have a lot to do, and not much time, the aluminium foil method will do a rough job with little effort.

Toothpaste works well (I use white non abrasive toothpaste anyway) but it's difficult to rinse off any nooks and crannies.

The tinfoil method I've used (which works brilliantly but it stinks) -
line a plastic box with foil, add hot water, salt and a dishwasher tablet. The silver has to touch the foil. Rinse and polish dry with a soft cloth after.

Brilliant !