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Buying a silver necklace online means you can't hold it, check the stamp, or ask a jeweller before you pay. A silver necklace, at its simplest, is a neckpiece made from silver metal and at MOHA, that always means certified 92.5 sterling silver, whether it's a chain-and-pendant, a choker, or a heritage haar from our silver necklace collection. But not every seller works to that standard, and a silver-plated piece can look identical to the real thing on day one. Here's exactly how to tell them apart before you buy, not after the coating wears off.
"925" means a piece is 92.5% pure silver, alloyed with 7.5% other metal usually copper for strength, and tested against that standard by a BIS hallmark. It's a precise, checkable number, which is exactly what makes verification possible in the first place.
Purity is a separate question from which necklace actually suits you, but it's worth having both in mind while you browse. A longer pendant reads best on a round face, a choker adds width if your face is longer, and once you've settled on a shape our face-shape guide goes into which lengths flatter which proportions.
Solid sterling silver carries the same composition all the way through. Silver-plated jewellery is a base metal brass, copper, or a nickel alloy with a thin layer of silver electroplated on the surface, sometimes only a few microns deep. New, they can look indistinguishable. Worn, they behave very differently: solid silver darkens gradually and evenly, and a soft cloth brings the shine straight back; a plated surface wears thin in patches and eventually exposes the metal underneath, which is why a necklace that looked fine in month one can look patchy by month four.
The full side-by-side cost, durability, skin safety, resale value is laid out in our comparison of 925 sterling silver and silver-plated necklaces, but the checks below are what actually settle the question on a specific piece in front of you.
Look for a "925" stamp or BIS hallmark near the clasp the fastest single check, and the one a legitimate seller will never be without.
Weigh it in your hand: sterling silver is denser than most base metals, so a genuine piece usually feels heavier than a plated one of the same size, and cool to the touch at first.
Hold a strong magnet near it. Silver isn't magnetic, so a piece that clings is not solid silver though a piece that doesn't cling still needs the other checks, since some base metals aren't magnetic either.
Ask the seller for a purity certificate. If they can't produce one for a "sterling silver" piece, that's reason enough to walk away.
For anything high-value or heirloom, a local jeweller can confirm purity with an acid test or electronic tester in a few minutes.
No visible stamp or hallmark anywhere on the piece.
Noticeably lightweight for its size next to a comparable sterling silver design.
Skin turns green or black within days rather than months of wear.
A price well under the going rate for genuine sterling silver of that size.
Visible flaking or colour change within the first few weeks of normal wear.
These red flags show up most often on resale platforms, unbranded marketplace listings, and street-market stalls, where there's no hallmark accountability behind the price tag. That doesn't mean every marketplace seller is misrepresenting their jewellery but it does mean the checks above matter more there than they do when buying from a brand that hallmarks every piece as a matter of policy.
Once you've confirmed a piece is real, how it holds up depends on how you wear and store it. Because solid silver keeps its finish, it can move between a saree one evening and a blazer the next without losing shine statement haars and oxidised pieces lean naturally toward ethnic wear, while a chain-and-pendant sits equally well under a kurta or a western collar, a point our guide to styling silver with Indian and Western outfits covers in more depth. The upkeep it asks for is minimal: on last after perfume, off first when you're home, wiped with a soft cloth, and stored away from moisture the complete routine is in our silver care guide if you want the longer version.
MOHA was founded in 2014 by Geetanjali Gondhale, who brings over 10 years of design experience and research into Indian jewellery craftsmanship to every collection. Every necklace is handcrafted by artisans in India from certified 92.5 sterling silver and BIS-hallmarked before it ships, so none of the five checks above should ever turn up a surprise on a MOHA piece.
Designs are drawn from Ashtamangal symbols, Harappan seals, traditional Maharashtrian jewellery, architecture, and folk art rather than passing trends. MOHA now serves customers across India and internationally, with a community of more than 176,000 followers, and offers free shipping over ₹3,500, cash on delivery above ₹3,500, and simple returns.
How do I know if my silver necklace is real 925 silver?
Check for a "925" stamp or BIS hallmark near the clasp, compare its weight and coolness to a known plated piece, and watch how it tarnishes over the first few weeks genuine silver darkens evenly and polishes clean.
Does the magnet test work on all fake silver?
Not on its own. It rules out several common base metals, since silver isn't magnetic, but a few fakes use non-magnetic metals too pair it with a hallmark check.
Can I verify silver at home without any special tools?
Yes. The hallmark, weight, temperature, and tarnish checks all work without equipment. An acid test or electronic tester needs a jeweller, but is only necessary for high-value pieces.
Will genuine silver turn my skin black?
Rarely 92.5 sterling silver is nickel-free. Skin discolouration is far more common with silver-plated jewellery once the coating wears and the base metal underneath is exposed.
Is MOHA's silver certified?
Yes. Every MOHA necklace is 92.5 sterling silver and BIS-hallmarked; the brand doesn't sell silver-plated or imitation pieces.
A hallmark stamp, a quick weight check, and a look at how a piece has aged are usually enough to tell genuine sterling silver from a plated imitation. Skip the guesswork by browsing MOHA's full silver necklace collection, where every piece already carries the certification these checks are designed to confirm.
