925 silver

What is 925 Silver?

925 silver is also called Sterling silver. It is a mix of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, most often copper.

Pure silver is a soft metal, and it gets scatched easily in use. Additionally,  for example thin earring wires would be too bendy and unstable if they were made out of pure silver. In 925 silver, copper is used to make the alloy harder and well suited for use. 925 silver is still mostly silver, and it retains the original colour and shine pure silver is known for. Almost all modern silver jewellery is made of 925 silver.

A Brief History of  Silver

Silver has been used in jewellery (along with other decorative things) and coins for thousands of years. Silver was used around the world, and techniques for mining it and separating it from lead were arrived at as early as the 3th millennium BCE. Slag heaps to indicate this were found in Anatolia and islands of the Aegean Sea. Ancient China, India and Japan probably have equally ancient silver production, but it is not well documented.

In ancient Egypt, before techniques of separating metals spread there, silver was more valuable than gold. It reacts with other metals and forms alloys more easily, which means that pure silver deposits were less common than pure gold deposits.

Silver was valued in Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, and Phoenicia, as well as by South American civilisations before their colonisation.

Silver has been mined all over the world during different time periods. Nowadays South America is biggest centre of silver mining.

Sterling silver

The alternative name for 925 silver is Sterling silver. During the Middle Ages European artisans started mixing pure silver with other metals to make it more durable. The term Sterling silver comes from the name of old English silver coins. The Sterling Act in 1300’s defined the consistency of Sterling silver. This standard then spread across Europe. The etymology of the word sterling is not exactly known.

925 silver on skin

The 925 silver that is used nowadays is a hypoallergenic material. Old jewellery might contain some nickel, but these days only copper and zinc are used to harden pure silver. Most people with very sensitive skin can wear sterling silver jewellery without their skin reacting.

How to Spot Real 925 Silver

Look for a stamp. The “925” stamp refers to the concentration of the silver. In EU it has to be stamped on commercially sold sterling silver items weighing over 10 grams. “Sterling” or “Sterling Silver” stamps are possible variations as well. The stamp can be small and in a discreet place, maybe on the back of the piece.

Another thing that gives away a real silver piece is weight. Silver is heavy, so if a piece is not, it probably is not silver.

You can also use a magnet for testing a piece that you are not sure about. Silver is not magnetic, so it should not react to a magnet. 925 Sterling silver is not magnetic either.

Recycling 925 silver

Silver (including 925 Sterling silver) is an endlessly recyclable material. Its quality does not suffer in the melting. Currently one 5th of silver used is recycled worldwide.

Cleaning 925 silver

925 silver becomes darkened as it oxidises, like pure silver. See tips on how to keep your silver jewellery clean.