caling98 I either use the basic umbrella lights off Amazon(3 to 4) but a lot of the time I use the flash on my canon rebel. unless there is a glare. that camera is also pretty good in low light.
most of the time sterling will be marked .925 or say sterling. it can also be marked .800. With that said not all hand made native american jewelry will be marked. you will started to know if it is real simply by the way it looks.