With so much silver-look jewellery on the market, it helps to know what separates genuine 925 sterling silver from silver-plated or alloy look-alikes.
Look for the hallmark
Genuine sterling silver is stamped with "925" or a BIS hallmark, confirming 92.5% silver content. If a piece has no stamp at all, treat that as a red flag.
The magnet test
Pure silver is not magnetic. If a piece is strongly attracted to a magnet, it's likely a base-metal fake rather than sterling silver.
Weight and feel
Sterling silver has a certain heft compared to lightweight alloy imitations of the same size — though this test works best alongside the hallmark check, not instead of it.
Buy from a trusted source
The simplest safeguard is buying from a jeweller who hallmarks every piece and is transparent about material and purity — which is why every Prarthna Jewellers piece carries a BIS hallmark stamp.