Because pure silver is too soft to be used by itself in the making of jewelry it is often mixed with other metals to create a more durable and lustrous alloy.
What is 925 sterling jewelry.
Usually this appears as 925 925 or 92 5.
Well pure silver is not really made up of only silver.
So as you can see.
Conversely metals that contain less than 92 5 percent silver are not sterling silver which is important to keep in mind when buying sterling silver.
If you re considering buying sterling silver jewelry you will no doubt want to know the difference between pure silver and 925 sterling silver.
Sterling silver jewelry is always stamped with a marking to indicate the percentage of silver it contains.
To identify it as such the number 925 is stamped upon the silver often in a hidden part of the jewelry.
However this isn t the case in some other parts of the world.
Thanks to the addition of a second metal sterling silver rings and other jewelry can stand up to everyday wear and tear.
Price isn t the only benefit 925 sterling silver brings to the table though.
If your piece has 925 also written as 925 stamped on it this means that it is a silver alloy.
When 92 5 of pure silver is mixed with 7 5 of other metals often copper nickel or zinc the resulting alloy is called sterling silver.
This number is known as the hallmark and denotes the percentage of silver purity in the alloy.
In order for a silver to be classified as sterling silver it must meet at least a 92 5 purity aka 925.
925 is sterling silver.
It has 99 9 of silver and a small content composed of other metals such as copper sterling silver on the other hand consists of 92 5 silver and the remaining part consists of copper.
It also has several other valuable qualities like.
925 silver is sterling silver.