[Sean May]

Hi is there anyway to test plating to determine it is silver.
I have an issue where two of the same products we buy are plated one in Tin and one in Silver. Is there a way of identifying which is Silver and which is Tin with a proven test? Also is there a test which can be carried out which will not damage the product?

any help on this will be most welcome.

thank you

[Arkcon]

A jeweler may well be able to tell the difference on appearance alone.  So could you, with a bit of practice.  This is the cheapest, simplest, least destructive test possible.  If there's a colorimetric test, some sort of solution on a swab that changes color on contact with the solid metal, I can't be sure.  You might find something in Feigl's spot tests, I'd suspect more likely for tin over silver, on account of reactivity.  But beyond that, you can expect tests to be destructive.  Unless the pieces are worth paying for looking at under the scanning electron microscope.

[Corribus]

I was going to say ICP-MS with laser ablation, but unless you've got a couple 100K to spend, probably not a viable option.

[curiouscat]

I've seen jewelers use some kind of electronic instrument. Non destructive. And seems accurate enough to tell the Ag-Au ratio even.

Wonder what it works on. I think some sort of surface spectrometer.

[Borek]

Spark and arc atomic emission spectroscopy come to mind.

[MOTOBALL]

Boiled egg yolks will darken silver (silver sulphide) but not, I think, tin.

[MOTOBALL]

Correction----use the white of a hard-boiled egg.

[MOTOBALL]

Second correction-----tinplate will also react !!!

Maybe perform reaction with authentic tin/silver samples to see if there is a different color to the tarnish.

[Sean May]

thanks for the replies, some interesting answers which i will be looking in to today.

once again thanks for the help.