28" silver serpent necklace with triple swirly heart pendant

I've had this necklace for many years. I really don't know if this is sterling silver or silver plate. There are no markings on it that I can see. For some reason the photos make it look gold but it is silver. The heart pendant is a definite silver color but the necklace has a slight gold tint to it in certain light. I know they go together though because the pendant won't come off without taking the clasp off of the necklace. It has stayed shiny all these years without any cleaning. I've kept it in my jewelry box and haven't worn it probably since the 1990's. It is very pretty. The chain measures approximately 28" end to end. The triple heart pendant is about 1 5/8" long.