Looking for silver and gold on eBay? Here are some definitions that can help you sort through the hype and find the beads or jewelry you are really looking for!

Silver, silver alloys, silver-filled and silver-plated:

Fine silver is marked .999 = 100% silver. Also called pure silver.
Britannia silver is an alloy and is marked .958 = 95.84% and 4.16% other metals, usually copper.
Sterling silver is an alloy and is marked .925 = 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. Argentium® sterling silver is a trademarked brand of sterling silver that resists firestain and tarnish. Not to be confused with "Argentium Argentine Plate" or "Argentum" which are nickel alloys containing no silver.
Coin silver is an alloy and depending on the quality is marked as .900/.800 = 90/80% silver and 10/20% other metals.
Other silver alloys: There are other silver alloys in use, the alloys above are fairly common.
Silver Filled is another material that is overlaid by a mechanical process with a layer of silver. Not common in jewelry. Items I have seen marked silver filled are vintage charms as well as religious and military medals.
Silver Plate/d is another material, brass/pewter/white metal/plastic etc, that is plated with a layer of pure silver.

Nickel alloys:

Nickel silver (German silver) is an alloy of nickel, and isn't silver at all. It's an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. There are many nickel alloys, some of these alloys contain 2% silver. A common nickel alloy in vintage jewelry is Alpacca.

Note: Recently some sellers have begun describing Alpacca as hypoallergenic, it is not. One of the most common metal allergies is to nickel, so none of the nickel alloys is hypoallergenic.

Gold, gold alloys, gold-filled and gold-plated:

Fine Gold is marked 24 Kt. = 100% gold. Also called pure gold.
10/12/14/18 Kt. Gold are alloys of gold.
Gold Filled is another material that is overlaid by a mechanical process with a layer of gold. The gold layer must constitute at least 1/20th of the weight of the metal in the entire article. Gold filled is preceded by a karat designation, but isn't required to be preceded by a fraction. Also called: "Rolled Gold Plate," or "Gold Overlay." May be marked "14 Karat Gold Filled," "1/20th 14 Karat Gold Filled" or other appropriate marking.
Rolled Gold Plate and Gold Overlay may also be used when the gold layer does not constitute at least 1/20th of the weight of the metal in the entire article. They are preceded by a fraction disclosing the portion of the weight of the metal in the entire article accounted for by the plating, such as "1/40th 12 Kt. Rolled Gold Plate."
Gold Plate/d is another material that is plated with a layer of gold or gold alloy. The layer of gold, not less than 10 karat fineness, is required to be of a substantial thickness, and the minimum thickness throughout is required to be equivalent to one-half micron (or approximately 20 millionths of an inch) of fine gold. May be preceded by a karat designation.
Gold Flashed and Gold Washed are similar to gold plated, except they do not meet the minimum thickness specified for gold plated.

Other Materials:

Vermeil (vermay) is sterling silver that is plated or coated with gold.
Pewter is an alloy of tin and is marked Pewter. It is 90% Grade A Tin and 10% metals appropriate for use in pewter.
White metal is any of the soft gray colored metals or alloys of them. (Lead, tin, cadmium and bismuth.)

About the phrase "sterling silver plated" or "sterling silver filled:"

There is no such thing as sterling silver plated or sterling silver filled. These are misnomers that are cropping up more and more often to refer to silver plated items i.e. "another material, brass/pewter/white metal/plastic etc, that are plated with a layer of pure silver" or "another material that is overlaid by a mechanical process with a layer of silver." Always check for the word plated or filled in the description even if you see sterling in the title. Especially if the price looks too good to be true. If you don't see the word plated or filled, and the price is still too good to be true, try searching the listing using the "Search" or "Find"  function under "Edit" in your browser. Sometimes it is in very small print.

If you see "STERLING SILVER PLATED" or "STERLING SILVER FILLED" items listed to the right of this guide, they are a good example of this deceptive practice. Since sterling silver items cost more than silver plated or filled items, manufacturers and sellers can get more people to look at their items by mis-describing them. The proper term for these items is "silver plated" or "silver filled."

Don't even get me started on the recent rash of brand new "Gold Filled Sterling Silver" that elaborates on their special gold plating in the description. Is it gold-filled? Is it gold-plated? What will the seller answer? If the seller can't decide on what to call his product, does he even really know what it is made of? Best find someone else who knows what they are selling and stands behind it.

US Code - TITLE 15 - CHAPTER 8 - § 297. Stamping plated articles

(a) Words “sterling” or “coin” forbidden:

"In the case of articles of merchandise made in whole or in part of an inferior metal, having deposited or plated thereon or brazed or otherwise affixed thereto a plating, covering, or sheet composed of gold or silver, or of an alloy of either of said metals, and known in the market as rolled gold plate, gold plate, gold filled, silver plate, or gold or silver electroplate, or by any similar designation, so imported into or exported from the United States, or so deposited in the United States mails for transmission, or so delivered to any common carrier, or so transported or caused to be transported as specified in section 294 of this title, no such article, nor any tag, card, or label attached thereto, nor any box, package, cover, or wrapper in which such article is encased or inclosed, shall be stamped, branded, engraved, or imprinted with any word or mark usually employed to indicate the fineness of gold, unless such word or mark be accompanied by other words, plainly indicating that such article or part thereof is made of rolled gold plate, gold plate, or gold electroplate, or is gold filled, as the case may be, and no such article, nor any tag, card, or label attached thereto, nor any box, package, cover, or wrapper in which such article is incased or inclosed, shall be stamped, branded, engraved, or imprinted with the word “sterling” or the word “coin”, either alone or in conjunction with other words or marks."

   

For more details on pewter, silver, vermeil, gold, and platinum, please see the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries or US CODE, TITLE 15 - COMMERCE AND TRADE, CHAPTER 8 - FALSELY STAMPED GOLD OR SILVER OR GOODS MANUFACTURED THEREFROM.