WHAT IS STERLING SILVER? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The sterling silver is made from a silver alloy 92.5% and other metals at 7.5%. Therefore, it is not pure silver, but a combination of several metals and is defined according to the amount of pure silver that the alloy contains.

In most cases, its authenticity can be identified by verifying the inscribed stamps included in the products made with this material. This denotes its purity and is generally placed in an inconspicuous place.

Some of the conventional alloys use copper (it is considered the most common alloy today), boron, platinum, silicon, germanium and zinc. These alloys are extremely useful because they allow the creation of jewelry pieces with the use of silver.

The reason it is mixed with other metals is because it is considerably difficult to use pure silver for creating good designs because it is so soft and malleable, making it difficult to use for jewelry. Because of this and for the purpose of introducing a bit of hardness, other metals are added.

In the case of pure silver, it has a purity level of 999, that is, out of every 1000 grams of metal, 999 are silver.

Characteristics of sterling silver

- Although it may be thought that a higher silver content is something beneficial or that it would add value to the object, this is not the case. When working with a metal containing more than 92.5% silver, it would be too flexible to be used without the risk of dents and bumps.

- The alloys made with silver are necessary to ensure the stability and resistance of the metal.

- Silver is found in a wide variety of styles and textures, the most common is seen in jewelry and is highly polished to obtain a beautiful reflection of light.

- On many occasions it is sought that silver simulates or resembles the visual aspect of white gold (but the final result will be a slightly darker finish).

- A characteristic of silver is its tendency to stain, dull or tarnish. This is caused by the small impurities found in silver, when reacting with air this phenomenon occurs.

- Another cause of silver tarnishing is being touched frequently (for example: chandeliers, trays, etc.)

- Currently there are many remedies to keep a piece of silver in excellent condition without dulling or darkening, ideally polishing it.

- In many cases jewelers sell with the objects a fine cloth and products for cleaning and polishing the objects. These are specially designed to eliminate all kinds of problems caused by staining and darkening.

- Engineering is constantly advancing when it comes to sterling silver jewelry, some of the jewelry made with this material is mixed with alloys that allow them to preserve a vision free of luster.

- In some cases it is also possible that they acquire a type of iridescent coloration, with precious stones or minerals embedded inside, as for example in the case of CZ jewelery. These new designs with cubic zirconia offer unique pieces and new designs.

- Usually, many people say they are allergic to silver, but actually this happens not because of the silver itself, but because of the other metals contained in the alloy.

- The regulation of sterling silver varies according to the country, each one determines a minimum silver content to consider it suitable to enter that category.

- Sterling silver is very popular because it has greater durability than pure silver while maintaining its beauty.

- When there is an increase in gold prices, the popularity of sterling silver increases.

Uses of sterling silver

Sterling silver is used for the production of a large number of objects for different purposes, among some of them are:

- Currently the production of jewelery is the area that makes the greatest use of sterling silver.

- It has been used for the creation of national currencies in different countries.

- At first it was widely used for the creation of cutlery: the different types of forks, spoons, knives, etc.

In the beginning, the use of these implements was imposed during the Victorian period, when the rules of etiquette dictated that food should not be touched directly with the hands.

- The cutlery was often accompanied by different tea sets, pots, trays, salad bowls, glasses, cups, napkin rings, jugs, candlesticks, etc.

- Later, the interest in this material spread and allowed it to be used for the creation of paper clips, mechanical pencils, letter openers, boxes, mirrors, brushes, manicure sets, among many others.

- Surgical and medical instruments.

- It is considered excellent for creating wind instruments in bronze alloys, for example: saxophone and flute.

History

Silver has always been a highly valued metal since its discovery before 4000 BC. C.

Since then, its popularity has continually increased over the years. The uses of silver have covered a wide range and it has even been used as a national currency in several countries.

The first important mines were recorded around 4000 BC. C. and were located in Anatolia, currently Turkey.

Records were found indicating that around 2500 BC. C. the Chinese improved the refining of silver and implemented measures to facilitate its excavation.

Later, Greece became the main silver producers for the rest of the world and continued in this way for many centuries until Spain gained market power thanks to its own silver deposits.

The story of how it got the name "sterling" or "sterling" in English, originated around the 12th century. Originally used as payment for English cattle, a group of East Germans compensated the British with silver coins they called "Easterlings."

From that time, the name Easterling was gradually accepted as a standard for English currency.

After such denomination was accepted, it underwent a modification and was abbreviated to "Sterling" or sterling in Spanish and this is the term currently used to refer to the highest grade of this valuable silver metal.

How to evaluate an object and determine if it is sterling silver or a fake

By the presence of a seal

The first thing to do is to find out if it has a distinctive seal, generally almost all pieces made with this material have it.

It can be found in the form of a stamp, symbol or series of symbols. These will denote its type, its purity and authenticity. Each country has a different stamp system, so it can easily vary.

If the seal is present, it is most likely sterling silver, although there are other verification methods to confirm this.

If you cannot find a seal or symbol present, it is likely that the piece is only silver plated.

In the United States, it will generally be marked with one of the following characteristics: "925", "0.925" or "S925". This denotation indicates that the piece in question actually has 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals.

In the United Kingdom, they are identified by the presence of a seal in the shape of a lion, a city seal or a letter that will symbolize the date and callsign of the sponsor.

In France, a seal with the head of Minerva is affixed for sterling silver and a vase for pure silver.

Because of the sound

When genuine, when the object is struck (with your fingers or a metal coin), it should sound similar to a bell, with a high-pitched sound lasting 1 to 2 seconds.

In case of not producing any sound similar to the one described, we will be in the presence of an object that is not made of sterling silver.

This procedure must be performed with extreme care to avoid dents and marks.

Odor analysis

Silver does not have any type of odor, so if you smell it for a while you detect a strong odor, it is possible that the object is not sterling silver and has a high copper content.

The alloy between silver and copper is extremely common, but it is only considered sterling silver if it meets the proper percentages of 92.5% and if so, it would not have enough copper in it to give off some kind of smell. This only occurs when there is a higher copper content.

Malleability

Silver is a soft and flexible metal so you can try to bend it with your hands, if you can do this easily it is likely that the object is pure or sterling silver.

If it doesn't bend easily, it doesn't pass the test and it's not sterling silver.

Other verification methods

- Oxidation test: when silver is exposed to air, it oxidizes and this makes the metal dirty and darker.

To perform this test you must rub the object with a clean white cloth and then check the fabric, if you see black stains the item may be silver.

- Magnetism: silver is not a ferrous or magnetic material, when passing a powerful magnet over the object, it should not be attracted. If the item sticks to the magnet then it does not contain sterling silver, it may be made of polished stainless steel.

- Ice test: the conductivity rate of silver is higher than that of other metals so it conducts heat extremely fast.

You can do this test by placing two ice cubes: one on the object and the other on the table. In the case of sterling silver, the ice cube on the item will melt much faster than the one on the table.

Another way to perform this test is by filling a container with several ice cubes, you must place the silver object and a non-silver object of similar size in the ice water. The silver item should feel cool to the touch after 10 seconds and the other non-silver item will not cool as quickly.

- There are also other tests carried out by experts such as: evaluation by a graduated appraiser or jeweler, nitric acid test, evaluation in a laboratory, etc.

References

1. History of Sterling Silver. Taken from silvergallery.com.
2. Types of silver. Taken from modelarcilla.com.
3. What is sterling silver jewelry? Taken from gold-diamonds.net.
4. What is 925 sterling silver and how to identify it? (2016). Taken from prjewel.com.