Why is Some Sterling Silver Jewelry Magnetic?

If you own any .925 stamped sterling silver jewelry and you have noticed that some pieces are attracted to magnets, you may find yourself asking “Why is some sterling silver jewelry magnetic?” If you have come across this phenomenon, you may want to reconsider where you buy your sterling silver jewelry. A supplier may tell you that metal is one of the materials in the piece of jewelry to make it more sturdy or to give more support to chains, but this simply is not true.

So Why is Some Sterling Silver Jewelry Magnetic?

Real sterling silver contains 92.5% pure silver which is not magnetic. The most common alloy used to harden the silver is copper, which is not magnet either. Often times, a clasp can be made of a different material that may be magnetic, but in that case it would not be sterling and should not be falsely stamped “.925.”

Here is some more information regarding the classification of genuine sterling silver by the Federal Trade Commission:

23.6 Misrepresentation as to Silver Content

(a) It is unfair or deceptive to misrepresent that an industry product contains silver, or to misrepresent an industry product as having a silver content, plating, electroplating, or coating.

(b) It is unfair or deceptive to mark, describe, or otherwise represent all or part of an industry product as “silver,” “solid silver,” “Sterling Silver,” “Sterling,” or the abbreviation “Ster.” unless it is at least 925/1,000ths pure silver.

(c) It is unfair or deceptive to mark, describe, or otherwise represent all or part of an industry product as “coin” or “coin silver” unless it is at least 900/1,000ths pure silver.

(d) It is unfair or deceptive to mark, describe, or otherwise represent all or part of an industry product as being plated or coated with silver unless all significant surfaces of the product or part contain a plating or coating of silver that is of substantial thickness.

(e) The provisions of this section relating to markings and descriptions of industry products and parts thereof are subject to the applicable tolerances of the National Stamping Act or any amendment thereof.

In short, I would definitely seek another supplier!