The first step in the care of collections is to understand and minimize or eliminate conditions that can cause damage. The second step is to follow basic guidelines for care, handling and cleaning.
Most people know that silver is a white lustrous metal.
Silver objects, especially coins and jewelry, contain copper as an alloying metal for added hardness. The copper may corrode to form dark brown or green deposits on the surface of the metal. Silver is usually easy to differentiate from lead or pewter which are generally dark gray and not very shiny. If your object forms a white powdery substance anywhere on the surface, it indicates lead corrosion. This proves that the object is either not silver, or that it is silver plated.