Silver Sterling Charms | Everything You Need to Know!

Since then a growing number of fake Sterling Silver jewelry has been flooding the market. Below are a few steps to identify fake Sterling Silver charms.

Sterling Silver Charms

First, look at the overall quality. Make sure Sterling Silver is spelled correctly and all stamps are clear & deep. Next, if you're looking at a glass bead, they should have Sterling Silver on 2 sides separated by dots. That is true for most, but there are some new ones with Sterling Silver and S 925 ALE separated by dots, like the one above/right. Next, the charm should have 925 and ALE.

The 925 Purity

The 925 is the amount of silver purity (92.5%), and the ALE is the initials of the founder's father, Algot Enevoldsen. If the bead is gold, it will have 585 for 14k or 750 for 18k. Charms that were made in 2011 and earlier will not have the S before the 925 like the one above. The ones made after 2011 will either have an S for silver or a G for gold. Next, look for a threaded core. The threads are used to keep the charms from sliding off.

Fakes

Many of the fakes leave that detail out. With the exception of some of the Openwork charms, all authentic charms should have a threaded core. Next, if it does have a threaded core, make sure there are threads throughout the core, like the real one above. Notice the fake one above only has one thread. Also, the threads should not be too shiny. The fake one above has a very cheap look to it, even in the core. Next, look at the 925 & ALE stamp.

Check the Stamp

The stamp should be deep and very clear like the real one above. The problem with the fake one above is that the ALE is bold and the 925 is not. There should be no difference in the font between the two. Next, if you looking at a glass bead, on the 925 ALE side, you should see a ring where the collar is joined to the core. Many of the fakes are soldered into one solid piece, like the fake above.  look at the Sterling Silver font. It should be consistent, bold, and high quality. Notice the fake above looks very inconsistent. The Ns and As look much bolder and sloppy than the letters next to them.

Final Verdict

Also, notice how much extra space the fake one has between the dots and the Sterling Silvers. Next, look at the quality and detail. Authentic Sterling Silver charms have very precise details. Counterfeit Sterling Silver charms often have sloppy details and counterfeit beads often have blurred details. And last, Sterling Silver has never used Swarovski crystals. If you see one like this, it's fake.