I figured I had Christmas in the bag for our female-dominated families this year. Cute as anything jewellery for "Free!" (Kinda, it costs them 62 cents US to send me an item and I pay $8.99 US for Shipping and Handling expenses.) Not only is it "free" (or at least inexpensive) it's guaranteed to be real gemstones and Stirling silver.

Here's the problem. Stirling silver is 92.5% silver, with the remainder usually being copper. Neither metal is magnetic. So a simple, simple quick test for stirling silver is to use a magnet and see if your jewellery is attracted. If it is, it's not stirling.

That said, back to SJC. In the past month I've purchased and received 9 items from them. Every piece is clearly marked with a "925" mark, which marks it as pure stirling silver. Here's the sales copy for each item, and the result of the magnet test.

#1
Round Cut Garnet Dangling Earrings Sterling Silver

Gemstone
Genuine Garnet 1.25 carat total weight
Round Cut, 2 pc, 5.00mm
vibrant color & clean clarity
Earrings
pure sterling silver stamped .925
2.32 grams
Length from post to bottom: 1 3/8 inches
fish hooks
unique design with gemstones in bezel setting
includes a gift pouch

Magnet test result: Attracted.

#2
Round Cut Pink Cz Pendant Sterling Silver

Pink Cubic Zirconia
Round Cut, 1 pc, 6.00mm
machine cut
clean clarity
Pendant
stamped .925 sterling silver
1.27 grams
Dimension: 3/4 x 1/2 inch
chain is optional
fruit and leaf design with stone(s) in bezel setting
includes a gift pouch

Magnet test result: So attracted that it will not shake off from the magnet.

#3
Heart shape Garnet Pendant Sterling Silver

Gemstone
Genuine Garnet 1.00carat
Heart Cut 6.00mm
vibrant color & clean clarity
Pendant
pure sterling silver with .925 stamp
1.20 grams
chain is optional
modern design featuring bezel setting
includes a gift pouch

Magnet test result: Again, attracted so strongly it won’t budge when the magnet is shaken.

#4A
Round White Agate Bead Circle of Love Pendant Sterling Silver

Gemstone
Genuine White Agate Bead 1 piece
Round Cut 8.00mm
vibrant color
Pendant
pure sterling silver with .925 stamp
1.40 grams
1 inch in length
chain is optional
modern design
includes a gift pouch

Magnet test result: Attracted and sticks like glue.

#4B
The stirling silver chain I bought with the pendant.

Magnet test result: We have silver! Or at least some metal that isn’t magnetic.

#5
Round White Agate Bead Party Earrings Sterling Silver

Gemstone
Genuine White Agate Bead, 4 pc
Round Cut 8.00mm
vibrant color
Earrings
pure sterling silver with .925 stamp
3.00 grams
2 inches in length
unique dangling design
includes a gift pouch

Magnet test result: Attracted.

#6
Blue Mother of Pearl Dangling Fashion Earrings Sterling Silver

Gemstones/Accents
All natural Mother of Pearls
Translucent blue color
Earrings
stamped .925 Sterling Silver
2.50 grams
Approximately 1 inch in length
Dangling Style
collector's 'naughty feet' design
Fish hook closure

Magnet test result: Not attracted. Still might be silver plate over copper, but at least it passes.

#7
Round Cut Peridot Flower Earrings Sterling Silver

Gemstone
Genuine Peridot 0.50 carat total weight
Round Cut 4.00mm
vibrant color & clean clarity
Earrings
pure sterling silver with .925 stamp
1.39 grams
Dimension: 3/8 x 3/8 inch
dainty flower design with prong setting
push back closure
includes a gift pouch

Magnet test result: Attracted. Solidly.

#8
White Mother of Pearl Leaf & Feather Ring Oxidized Sterling Silver

Gemstones/Accents
All natural Mother of Pearl
Lustrous white color
Ring
stamped with .925 sterling silver
3.25 grams
approximate finger size 7 1/4 (available only in this size)
Unique indian inspired design
Includes a gift pouch

Magnet test result: Not attracted. However, after testing it earlier tonight, I took a soft cloth and wiped the ring to remove my fingerprints. The ring just collapsed in half. At least it’s silver, right? So what that it fell apart before anyone ever even wore it?

So! Out of 9 items, all guaranteed to be and promoted as stirling silver, 3 passed the simple magnet test. Some of them are pretty enough that I’ll keep them anyways, silver or not. But some are no different from what I could pick up at Ardene or Claire’s -- especially considering the very doubtful authenticity of the gemstones. What makes this deal such a deal is the ability to get silver and gemstones cheap. Instead I got mystery metal and probably glass stones cheap.

By the way, I had this concern that the magnet was too strong or some such crap so I tested my previously purchased stirling silver items. Everything passed. Except for the clasps on the chains for some reason. Weirdness.

So. Silverjewelryclub.com is a scam. They’re selling the same quality of stuff as you can get at the local mall costume jewellery store. However, when taken for what it is -- cute costume jewellery, of which the only thing silver is the colour, it’s not a bad buy. Many of the designs are unique and classy. $8.99 US for that isn’t an unreasonable price.