Is Silver Magnetic?

Silver has captivated humanity for thousands of years. This lustrous precious metal has been used to make jewelry, currency, tableware, scientific equipment and more all throughout history.

But one question I sometimes get asked is: “Is silver magnetic?” It seems like a simple “yes or no” type of question. However, the relationship between silver and magnetism has some interesting science behind it.

So in this post, as a professional neodymium magnets manufacturer, I’m going to cover topics like:

• The basics of silver as an element
• What makes some metals magnetic
• Does silver get attracted to magnets?
• Tips for testing if your silver is real using magnets
• And more

By the end, you’ll know for sure whether silver is magnetic or not. And you’ll understand the whole science behind how silver interacts with magnetic fields.

Let’s get started!

What Makes Metals Magnetic (or Not)

Before we talk specifically about silver, it helps to understand what makes any metal magnetic in the first place.

As you probably know, magnets can attract certain metals, like iron, steel or nickel. We say these metals are “ferromagnetic”.

The strong magnetic attraction comes from how the metal’s atoms are configured:

Specifically, every atom has electrons spinning around its nucleus. And in ferromagnetic materials, the electron fields of adjacent atoms end up aligned parallel to each other.

The cumulative effect of trillions of aligned atoms adds up, giving the entire piece of metal magnetic properties.

However, other metals don’t have this alignment. For example, take copper or aluminum. The electron fields around adjacent atoms point in random directions, cancelling out any potential magnetism:These metals are called “non-magnetic”. And as you’ll soon see, silver falls into this camp.

Is Silver Magnetic?

Silver is not magnetic. Being a transition metal with a filled 4d subshell, silver is diamagnetic. This means silver atoms form pairs and exhibit no net magnetic interaction.

External magnetic fields induce a slight repulsive force on silver.

To demonstrate this first hand, check out this video:

Here we clearly see a strong neodymium magnet slide down a silver ingot. The silver repels the magnetic field through diamagnetism.

What about other precious metals like gold and platinum?

As it turns out, gold and platinum also demonstrate diamagnetic properties. This makes sense as their electron configurations resemble that of silver.

So the next time you’re evaluating some shiny gold or silver jewelry, try the magnet test!

Here’s Why Silver Isn’t Magnetic

Silver is classified as a “diamagnetic” metal. This means that not only is silver non-magnetic, but it actually repels magnetic fields!

To see how it works, let’s zoom in on a piece of pure silver:

The outer electron shell contains just one lonely electron spinning around.

Now let’s bring in an external magnetic field:

When this hits the silver atom, it creates an opposing magnetic field in the electrons, causing repulsion.

This atomic-level effect is incredibly weak. You won’t notice silver noticeably pushing back against fridge magnets or anything.

However, using ultra-precise scientific equipment, scientists have measured that silver is ever-so-slightly repelled by magnetic fields.

And there you have it… the metals science behind why silver isn’t magnetic!

Now let’s cover some common questions about silver and magnetism.

Can Magnets Stick to Silver?

One of the most frequent questions about silver is:

“Can you stick a magnet onto silver?”

The short answer, based on what you now know, is no.

Since silver produces an opposing magnetic reaction, magnets can’t stick to pure silver. If you have a silver bar, coin or jewelry that magnets cling to, then it’s likely not real .999 silver.

That said, sterling silver allows for other metals to be mixed in. So a magnet could potentially stick to part of a sterling silver chain or accessory. But it still won’t stick to the actual silver parts.

Let’s bust a couple other silver and magnet myths…

Does Silver Rust Like Iron?

Silver doesn’t rust for two reasons:

1. Rust requires iron. When iron is exposed to moisture, it oxidizes into iron oxide (i.e. rust). Silver obviously doesn’t contain iron, so it can’t rust.
2. Silver is largely corrosion-proof. Instead of oxidizing when exposed to air and moisture, silver actually forms a thin protective coating. This prevents extensive corrosion or discoloration over time. That’s why we have silver artifacts thousands of years old that still shine!

Can You Test Silver Purity With a Magnet?

Using magnets to test for fake silver is smart. As you now know, any silver that sticks to magnets must not be pure.

However, the magnet test isn’t foolproof. Other non-magnetic metals like copper wouldn’t get attracted to magnets either.

So while a strong magnet attachment likely indicates a silver-plated fraud, no magnet attachment doesn’t guarantee real silver. There could still be other metals lurking inside.

For a full silver authentication test, you’d also want to try things like:

• Ping test – Drop a silver coin on a hard surface. The sound frequency indicates silver or not.
• Dimensions test – Use a caliper to check if a coin’s diameter, thickness and weight match official silver coin dimensions.
• Acid test – Very carefully place a tiny drop of nitric acid on the metal. Silver dissolves in nitric acid, turning it cloudy, while other metals don’t.

But magnets can still be your first line of defense against phony silver pieces!

Pro Silver Tips

Before we wrap up, here are my top tips for working with silver:

• Store silver properly – Keep coins in flip capsules or tubes; bars in protective cases. Don’t let silver touch plastic, rubber, paper or chemicals.
• Handle with cotton gloves – Avoid getting skin oils on silver to prevent toning or discoloration over time.
• Use anti-tarnish strips – These help guard silver against ambient sulfur and other corroding elements in the air.

Following those tips along with the magnet test will help your true silver pieces maintain their beauty and value for years to come!

Conclusion

While gold gets all the headlines, silver is every bit as interesting. Understanding silver’s diamagnetic properties adds an intriguing physics dimension to this elemental metal.

So let’s do a quick recap:

• Silver isn’t magnetic whatsoever…in fact, it weakly repels magnetic fields
• Magnets cannot stick to any pure silver, whether bars, jewelry or tableware
• Sterling silver may get attracted to magnets due to other alloyed metals
• The magnet test can help spot fake silver, but can’t guarantee real silver

Hopefully this post shed some light on why silver and magnets don’t mix! I welcome any comments or questions below.