Featured Is this SIlver or silver-plate? Comb with Chinese markings

I found this in a charity thrift. Paid not much. I figured it for silverplate with that 999 mark, and it scratches like pure silver i.e. the reaction comes up FAST. Doesn't like magnets. Came with a polishing cloth in the box that says Made in Germany. (how's that for amusing - the Chinese imported German bits!) It looks like a New Year's present; its box is made of plain paper and while I've seen similar sold as silver I has me doubts as they say.

What think ye? Live or Memorex? I'm good, but I don't read Chinese.

 

Id say silver,and lovely !

 

Solid silver. The Japanese often use .999.

 

Thanks. I'd wondered. Glad I didn't sell it as a silverplated trinket! There's about an ounce of pure silver sitting there.

 

Wow! It's gorgeous!
What a lucky find

 

The characters do say Silver in Chinese, so it matches up. Probably best to test to confirm though as you do find Chinese items marked as silver that are not silver unfortunately.

 

Alibaba ( and chinese sites in general ) are aces at selling fake silver
and they are starting to flood boot sales here ...

ex :
wholesale engrave logo 1 gram 999 silver bar bullion 1 ounce fake / real gold brick plated bars 24k pure bullion souvenir

a comb :
999 Sterling Silver Retro Antique Personality Silver Hair Comb

another: Chinese Old Tibet Silver Carving Carved Silver Comb

 

That is beautiful!

 

http://kushikanzashi.jp/

https://silvermerc.com/what-are-traditional-japanese-hair-accessories/

 

Those is purdy, as the saying goes. I've always loved Japanese hair accessories. If you have really dark hair, the sparkly stuff shows up.

That's what I was afraid of. I did acid test it, but unfortunately we'd need to use a file to be really sure.

 

nahhhh, yer good!!

the space in between the tines......
the metal is already cut to it's core.....

 

...and then possibly plated. But that German-made polishing cloth is another matter; I don't see Chinese fakers wasting money importing something that expensive (relatively).

 

Just to reiterate, although this may look to be a Japanese item, the impressed silver mark is what you would usually find on Chinese items, this isn't the normal mark for Japanese silver.

 

With my usual luck it's a fake mark, but I paid a whole dollar for it so I'm not in too deep.

 

I have a question, and please don't laugh. Why would someone put the mark on the top and not the underside of the piece?

 

it's a comb........how can one tell which side is the underside.....

isn't that like a coin......there are 2 sides....but no underside....right !?

( not laughing...)

 

It seems to me that there is a slight curve to the comb, the

I just presumed the convex was the top, the concave the underside!

 

I see it sitting rather flat on the box.......

 

It's flat. I don't think it has a front or a back, per se. It was easier than marking it on the edge, for certain.

 

Is it having the pattern on both sides? Top and other side?