"Often, a clasp is made of something different that may be magnetic," explains one of our jewelry experts. "But if the chain itself sticks to a magnet, then sadly, it is not 'sterling' and should not be marked '.925.'"
For more information regarding what is classified as genuine sterling silver and what can and cannot be marked as such, here is what the FTC has to say:
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.
Note 1 to § 23.6: The National Stamping Act provides that silver plated articles shall not "be stamped, branded, engraved or imprinted with the word 'sterling' or the word 'coin,' either alone or in conjunction with other words or marks."
Exemptions recognized in the industry and not to be considered in any assay for quality of a silver industry product include: