What is Sterling silver?
Sterling silver is a combination of fine silver and alloys that give the silver strength, allowing it to be worn as jewelry. Although sterling silver is more vulnerable to tarnishing compared to fine silver, it is more resilient to daily wear, and will last much longer. In order for jewelry to be labeled sterling silver, it must consist of 92.5% fine silver and 7.5% metal alloys such as copper.
Why Does Silver tarnish?
When your silver jewelry is exposed to air, it is also exposed to gasses containing sulfur. When silver is exposed to sulfur it leaves a darker color behind which causes your jewelry to tarnish.
What Is Fine silver?
Fine silver is refined silver in its purest form, it is 99.999% pure silver. You will most likely see fine silver in coin form, manufactured by mints. Although some jewelers may choose to work with fine silver, it is generally too soft to be worn as jewelry. Fine silver is soft, malleable, and more resistant to tarnishing than sterling silver.
How do I know if my jewelry is real silver?
If your jewelry is real silver, it should be stamped with markings indicating its purity.
Sterling silver stamps: The most common stamp amongst silver jewelry is “925” indicating its 92.5% silver, and 7.5% alloy. Sterling silver may also be stamped with “sterling silver”, but this is less common.
Fine silver stamps: There are two main stamps used to label fine silver. The first and most common stamp being “999” representing its 99.9% purity, and the second most common being “FS” or “999FS” meaning “Fine Silver” or “99.9% fine silver”.
Why choose sterling silver over fine silver?
Over many years sterling silver has been the first choice for jewelers and jewelry enthusiasts around the world. If you are looking for long lasting jewelry, sterling silver is the way to go.