What Is Sterling Silver?
Fine silver consists of 99.99% pure silver, whereas sterling silver contains 92.5% silver with the remaining 7.5% consisting of another metal, usually copper. As with gold, pure silver is far too soft and easily damaged to be used to make everyday jewelry. Once it is alloyed with another metal such as copper it is more durable and can be fashioned into earrings, bracelets, rings, and endless other items. Generally, but not always, sterling silver is stamped with quality marks that may include:
Sterling Mark
925 Sterling Mark
STER Sterling Mark
- STERLING
- STER
- STERLING SILVER
- .925
- 92.5
Just as with gold, the weight of your item, the metal fineness and current price for silver will all be used to calculate the value.