What is Silver
Versatile and affordable, sterling silver is the most popular silver alloy on the market. Pure silver, while beautiful, is soft and very malleable, making it not ideal for jewelry you’d wear everyday. A normally stable metal, silver can tarnish when exposed to hydrogen sulfide or sulfur. Silver pieces that don’t contain gemstones can generally be resized by a jeweler.
Silver Purity
Sterling Silver – Created by combining 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, sterling silver offers the lasting durability necessary for routine wear, without compromising its aesthetic qualities.
Pure Silver – 99.9% pure – is sometimes used in handcrafted jewelry that features intricate designs.
Other Silvers – Britannia, which is 95.84% pure and too soft for jewelry, as well as Mexican silver, which is 95% pure.
Coin Silver – 90% pure and is the lowest legal limit for “fine silver” and must be labeled as “coin” silver.
Silver Quality Marks
To distinguish sterling silver from others, the following marks are used:
Sterling
Sterling Silver
.925
Silver Care
While silver is prone to tarnishing, you can reduce this effect by wearing your jewelry often. When not being worn, it’s best to keep your silver pieces in a soft cloth, in a covered box. To retain its lasting gleam, use a specially designated silver cleaner also available at Borsheims.
Silver Jewelry
Borsheims has a variety of sterling silver jewelry for every occasion.
