How to tell if your silver is authentic? Arte Taxco certifies it online

Buying silver jewelry online comes with a friction that few stores resolve well: you can't touch it, you can't weigh it, and you have no way to verify that the metal is what they say it is. Most stores ask you to trust their word.

At Arte Taxco, we do things differently. Every piece we sell comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity with a unique serial number, verifiable online by anyone, at any time. Here's why this matters and how it works.

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The problem with "sterling" silver that isn't sterling

The silver jewelry market in Mexico and the United States has a serious problem: a lack of independent verification. A piece can be called "925 silver" in the product description without any supporting documentation.

The difference between .925 sterling silver and silver-plated or alpaca is not visible to the naked eye. It requires an acid test, a scale to verify the weight, or a document certifying the metal. Without one of these three elements, the buyer has no way of knowing.

This especially affects those who buy online, where there is no physical contact with the piece before payment.

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What is Arte Taxco's Digital Certificate of Authenticity?

Every piece sold on artetaxco.mx automatically generates a certificate with the following characteristics:

Unique serial number per piece. Each certificate has an identification number with the format AT-YYMM-[order]-[index] — for example, AT-2606-1033-0. No two pieces have the same serial number.

Publicly verifiable URL. The certificate lives at certificados.artetaxco.mx/certificado/[serial]. Anyone — the buyer, a family member, a customs authority, an insurer — can open that URL and view the piece's certificate.

Real product data. The certificate records the silver purity (925, 950, or 999), the weight in grams, the origin (Taxco de Alarcón, Guerrero, Mexico), the artisan's and workshop's name (full registration in progress), and the date of sale.

QR code on the product page. Before buying, each product page on artetaxco.mx displays the certificate's QR code. You can scan it with your cell phone and view the document before paying. Not after: before.

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Why this is different from a simple "925" stamp

Silver hallmarking — the small "925" stamp engraved on a piece — is useful but has limitations. It can be faked. It doesn't indicate the actual weight of the piece. It doesn't identify the artisan or the workshop. And it has no external verification mechanism.

Arte Taxco's Digital Certificate adds everything the stamp doesn't:

• It's a digital document with a unique and unrepeatable URL
• It's verifiable by anyone, not just the seller
• It records data that cannot be altered once issued
• It travels with the piece if gifted or sold

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The certificate activates guaranteed buyback

There's an additional practical benefit that makes the certificate especially valuable: it's the document that activates the Lifetime Jewel Program.

If you ever decide to return your piece to Arte Taxco, you present your serial number and get back up to 70% of the value you paid — with no time limit. For pieces with stones, the percentage is up to 35%.

The exact percentage is recorded on the certificate from the moment of purchase. There are no small print or conditions that change later.

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How to verify your piece's certificate

If you already own an Arte Taxco piece of jewelry:

1. Check your purchase confirmation email — you'll find the certificate PDF with your serial number there
2. Open certificados.artetaxco.mx and enter your serial number, or use the direct link in the PDF
3. The certificate displays all your piece's data in real-time

If you are considering buying:

1. Go to any product page on artetaxco.mx
2. Scan the QR code in the certificate section, or tap "View certificate"
3. You will see the document you will receive upon purchase

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A note on DRAFT certificates

Before a piece is sold, its certificate exists in DRAFT status — indicating that the piece is available but does not yet have a buyer. At the time of purchase, the certificate automatically changes to ISSUED status with all buyer data and the date of sale.

This means you can verify the authenticity of a piece before buying it, and receive an issued and permanent document when you buy it.

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International standards

Arte Taxco's certificate system is designed to be compatible with European Digital Product Passport standards (ESPR — Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation). This is especially relevant for customers in Europe, where regulators are moving towards requiring digital documentation of origin and traceability for luxury goods and jewelry.

The serial number AT-YYMM-[order]-[index] is structured to be compatible with the GS1 Digital Link standard, the same system used by European luxury brands to identify individual products.

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View a piece's certificate

The most direct way to understand how it works is to see it in action. Here is the certificate for a real piece:

certificados.artetaxco.mx/certificado/AT-2606-1033-0

And if you want to know more about the complete system, the certificate page explains each of its components:

artetaxco.mx/pages/certificado-de-autenticidad