Identifying 825 Metal: Is It White Gold or Sterling Silver?

Question
A customer brought a ring into our shop with no Karat markings. The numbers on it were 825 and believed to be white gold. Any ideas on the karat. I'm thinking 14k but I'm probably wrong. Any help you can offer would be awesome! Thank you!

Answer

Steve Hi Jamie, Hmmm...825? My first thought is that the eight is really an obliterated 9 and it's Sterling Silver since you said it is guessed to be 14k white gold which would make sense on the metal color. Did you test it? Take a rub of the metal on the testing stone and apply 14k acid to see if the rub mark remains or disappears. The second test is to file into the ring in a non-conspicuous place and apply the 14k acid-if it turns creme white its Silver, if green is just a base metal. Could the mark be .835? if so its Silver from great Britain. Good luck.

Steve Kretser