For many years, silver was considered the best metal for making coins, but when mankind began to use paper to make money, it gained similar popularity already in jewelry. Today, silver is used in medicine and cosmetology; dishes, decor and all kinds of jewelry are made from it, but not in its pure form. In jewelry, 925 sterling silver is most often used. What is a sample, how this alloy differs from others and why it is called so is described below.
Name history
Pure silver is very malleable and easily deformed, so an alloy is more suitable for making coins.
The alloy from Germany was remarkable for its amazing strength and radiance, which is why it was called easterling silver in England, which means "eastern silver". Soover time, the name was shortened to sterling silver, and later equated to the reference alloy for coins in England. It was believed that 240 pieces of sterling silver should weigh exactly one pound. It was from that moment that the history of the modern English pound sterling began.
Silver proof
Sample of silver, like gold, determines the amount of precious metal in the composition of the alloy. Auxiliary metals give alloys additional strength, wear resistance, gloss, shade and many other characteristics. The test of sterling silver can only be 925. This means that 1 kg of the alloy contains 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% ligature. The auxiliary metal today is exclusively copper.
To get a uniform connection of silver and copper, the metals are heated to 893°C.
Product care
Most often, sterling silver is used to make jewelry, decor items and cutlery. Despite the fact that the alloy is very wear-resistant, products made from it should be protected from exposure to chemicals and ultraviolet radiation. Cloth pouches hold silver very well.
It is recommended to clean sterling silver with a soapy solution or special napkins for jewelry. Darkening can be removed with tooth powder, hydrogen peroxide solution or ammonia.
To ensure the products shine for many years, the metal can be plated with rhodium. Rhodium is very popular in jewelry today. To give products, on the contrary, an aged look, will helpoxidized silver coating.
Physical properties of metal
Today, sterling silver is in high demand among jewelers for many reasons. First of all, this metal has special reflective properties. It was from silver that the first mirrors were made.
Also, metal conducts heat well, so it never causes discomfort when worn - products made from it always have the owner's body temperature and quickly heat up after the street.
It is also important that silver is resistant to corrosion and slowly oxidizes. Due to the plasticity of this metal, it is easy to work with it, even making very small patterns.
Demand for alloy
The popularity of sterling silver is growing every year, and, according to experts, this process will not stop. The fact is that sellers always try to earn as much as possible on popular goods, and silver reserves are declining on the planet.
If you want to buy a product made of such an alloy, you should be prepared for the fact that prices for it can differ dozens of times at various points of sale. So, in a pawnshop for 1 g of sterling silver they can ask for only 20-50 rubles, and when buying a new item in a jewelry store, it’s already at least 500 rubles.
Chinese silver
Despite the fact that the technology for obtaining an alloy is identical in all countries of the world, products from China, which are gaining popularity in recent years, often turn out to be of poor quality. The thing is that unscrupulous sellers often pass off 925 as pure sterling silver.(what it is written above) ordinary jewelry. There are also situations when only part of the jewelry is made from the declared alloy, and the seller is silent about the nuances. Since when buying products online, it is impossible to independently verify their quality and authenticity until the very moment you receive it, you should be careful not to make deals with sellers with low ratings and bad reviews.
In fact, according to statistics, about 80% of silver from China is fully consistent with the declared quality, and the low price is due to cheap labor and the absence of the need to pay salaries to a large number of employees and pay for the rent of premises. Sometimes the difference in price, when compared with domestic jewelry stores, can reach up to 200 (!) Rubles per 1 gram, so most buyers are still ready to wait for delivery and take risks. The guarantee of receiving a quality product here is only the responsibility of the seller, which is confirmed by numerous positive reviews, high ratings and long working hours.
