New Delhi, Oct. 29 -- With the festive season underway, many people will be buying silver coins, utensils and jewellery on Dhanteras and Diwali. Before making a purchase, however, it is important to check the purity of silver and understand how to verify its hallmark.

While consumers are familiar with gold hallmarking, silver also has recognised purity grades and hallmarking rules that buyers should know. Here is what an expert recommends checking before buying silver this festive season.

Amit Modak, Director of P. N. Gadgil & Sons, said higher purity does not necessarily make a silver product better suited to every use. Due to its softness, fine silver is more likely to get scratched, bent, or deformed. For this reason, alloyed silver ...