Do You Have WEIGHTED Sterling?

So, you have an old pair of sterling silver candlesticks. You weigh them and think, 'wow, I have lots of money sitting right here!' However, if they are stamped "weighted," you need to know it's not all sterling. Most people don't realize what is then inside...

In this example, only 1/10th of the weight was sterling! Rest of weight was from the ceramic/resin form. Note that sometimes the filler can be sand. After removing the filler/form, all you are left with is a "skin" of sterling. Yes, 10 ounces ended up being only 1 ounce of sterling silver.

It kind of looks like opening a can of jellied cranberry sauce.