Not just any silver jewelry, .925 sterling silver jewelry. Difference There is no difference between sterling silver and 925 sterling silver. Silver’s purity carries a numeric designation based on 1,000. Pure silver usually carries a 999 rating. Sterling silver must be 92.5 percent pure (or 925) to be classified as sterling silver. Silver Properties Silver’s chemical symbol is Ag, and it has an atomic number of 47. In its purest form, silver is very soft, and therefore not very functional for jewelry or utensils. Sterling Silver To improve silver’s functionality, pure silver is mixed with other metals (usually copper). Sterling silver contains 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper or other alloys. Metals containing less than 92.5 percent silver are not sterling. Markings Since the mid-19th century, sterling silver made in the United States is marked as such. It is either stamped with the word “sterling,” or it may be stamped wit...
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