The whole truth about silver: facts, honest misconception and deception

Many young ladies love jewelry. After all, they add a touch of femininity and sophistication to the image. Jewelry craftsmen use a wide variety of precious materials to make various products: gold, silver, diamonds, pearls... - the list goes on and on.

Many girls give their preference to silver jewelry, because it is cheaper than gold and looks amazing. But which silver sample is considered the best? Let's find out about this in the article.

The best silver jewelry - TOP 5 manufacturers

Jewelry has always been an ideal gift choice for both women and men.
At the same time, since ancient times, silver products have been valued not only for their beauty and grace - they were attributed with all sorts of magical and healing properties. Nowadays, silver jewelry is not only an excellent gift, but also an indicator of the good taste of the giver. If you are choosing jewelry for yourself or a loved one, this article will be useful to you, because it provides comprehensive information on how to choose real silver, as well as a rating of the most famous and popular manufacturers with a good level of product quality.

Silver and stones: making the right choice!

Silver costs less than gold, but is also combined with much fewer precious stones and gems. Let's look at the list of the most successful and correct, from an etiquette point of view, combinations of silver jewelry.

Silver (as well as copper and titanium) goes well with all opaque stones. Amethyst is combined only with silver (never with gold!). At the same time, you don’t have to limit yourself to the color of the stone (amethyst can be either purple or dark brown) and choose the option that really highlights your natural beauty. Keep this in mind when you are going to choose earrings, bracelet or other jewelry.

In Asia, there is still an unspoken division of stones and precious metals into “masculine” and “feminine” (uplifting and calming, or “solar” and “lunar”). Similar concepts have taken root both in etiquette and in the world of high fashion, where experts recommend combining metals and stones of the same type. For example, these “calm” stones go better with silver than with any other metal: onyx, emerald, agate, sapphire, lapis lazuli, malachite.

What does silver go poorly with? Unsuccessful combinations usually include pairs of classic silver with zircon, tourmaline and amber.

Types of silver in jewelry

Silver products differ not only in shape and appearance, but the material in them may also differ. There are eight options for processing silver in jewelry:

• Regular oxide-free, uncoated silver. It oxidizes quite quickly and changes color to a darker one, therefore, it needs regular cleaning.
• Silver with a pure silver surface coating without added impurities. This type of coating prevents excessively rapid darkening, but also requires cleaning, although not as often as the usual option.
• Silver plated with rhodium (platinum group metal). It is called rhodium-plated silver - with this coating, the jewelry acquires a more pronounced metallic luster and becomes not susceptible to oxidation.
• Silver treated with sulfur is called oxidized or “blackened.” The material, “aged” in a special way, gives jewelry a noble appearance.
• Silver processed like gun metal. At the same time, the appearance of the product begins to resemble weapons-grade steel. It is used in massive, heavy, mainly men's jewelry.
• Silver with gilding. It is characterized by the fragility of the coating and requires special storage conditions and infrequent wear.
• Partial gilding of silver items “with diamond edges”. It differs from the previous version in the absence of coating in places of contact with the body and on the locking part. A more durable variety.
• Silver with soldered gold plates and inserts. This version of mixed materials in the product is the most durable and is not subject to abrasion.

If you want to make a spectacular gift, turn your attention to platinum products. Read The best platinum jewelry - TOP 5 world brands →

Amazing properties of silver, or what are the advantages of the noble metal?

Silver is a material that is extremely in demand in jewelry. They make anything from it - from tiny but durable clasps and connecting links, to massive fancy medallions and solid bracelets. Do you want to know what advantages and features made this metal so popular? Some of them are listed here:

• Silver jewelry will beautifully highlight your appearance, regardless of color type (eye, hair, skin tone). They look more feminine, sophisticated and stylish than gold ones. Therefore, such accessories can be worn by women of any age and social status - from a business woman to a student;
• modern fashion is constantly inventing more and more new directions and trends - without forgetting about time-tested styles. And it is silver, as a plastic, malleable and deformation-resistant metal, that allows all the fantasies of designers to come true, turning into real works of art in their hands. Thanks to this, you can choose jewelry that suits any look;

• works made from this material not only look chic, but are also quite affordable - and this is important if you want to often change your image, vary the rings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches you wear. Collect headset sets or combine them in a new way each time - the choice is yours;
• Light silver goes well with most precious and semi-precious stones. This sparkling metal will perfectly highlight both the color tints of bright amber and the transparency of rock crystal;
• “sterling”, that is, high-grade silver, almost free of impurities - an inert substance that does not cause allergies and does not provoke the appearance of dark spots on the skin. Moreover, it has a beneficial effect on the body, cleansing it of toxins, pathogenic bacteria and viruses;
• Silver accessories are durable and do not require complex care. You don’t even have to clean them too often - such products retain their natural color without becoming covered with so-called “skin plaque” (a greasy film that occurs as a result of contact with the epidermis, the external atmosphere and detergents);
• Due to its durability and attractiveness, jewelry made from this metal often becomes family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation - especially if they were made by a master in a single copy, using exclusive precious stones. Fashionable pieces become vintage, but never become outdated.

What details to focus on when purchasing

What you need to check when choosing jewelry:

• First of all, the product must have a sample. The numbers embossed in the metal indicate the amount of silver in the alloy from which the jewelry is made. Products with 925 purity, which contain 92.5% pure silver, are considered the highest quality, reliable and durable. This percentage is called the sterling standard.
• In addition to the sample, the authenticity of the jewelry is confirmed by a stamp. In Russia it looks like an image of a woman wearing a kokoshnik.
• Availability of a certificate and other documentation. When purchasing jewelry in specialized stores, all documents are given to you in person. You should not take risks purchasing silver from dubious places or from hand to hand.
• The price of jewelry cannot be too low. You can focus on the price of silver according to the Central Bank. The finished product, for which the cost of manufacturing is added to the cost of the material, cannot be cheaper than this level.

How much are “925” and “999” samples worth today?

Having understood what grades of silver there are, it is worth determining the cost of the material. As a rule, the price is set per gram and depends on the labeling. The most expensive bar is considered to be 999 fine. There are no other impurities in the ingot composition. The price per gram is about 18-40 rubles.

The remaining samples are evaluated as the volume of impurities increases. The lower the standard, the cheaper the item. Certain circumstances should be taken into account when purchasing antiques. Here the role is played not so much by the sample, but by originality and in what century the item was made. The older the product, the higher the price.

How to determine the authenticity of silver

There are several ways to find out if you're really digging the silver jewelry. At the same time, you do not need a chemical laboratory - it is easy and simple to carry out the test right in the store:

• Silver has a high level of thermal conductivity. If you rub it in your hands or bring it to something hot, it will quickly heat up.
• Touching the surface with any sharp object should not leave any visible marks.
• With intense friction, a large amount of excess impurities will leave marks on the skin.

Checking using additional tools:

• Alcohol solution of iodine. The drop will not affect the silver item in any way; other jewelry may change color - this depends on the presence of zinc in the impurities
• Sulfuric ointment. Silver darkens when exposed to sulfur - this is how it is oxidized.
• Lapis (silver nitrate) in pencil. A low-quality product will darken under its influence.
• Chalk (calcium carbonate). If you run regular school chalk across the surface, a black line will appear on the fake decoration.

Recognizing real silver - how to recognize a fake in time

There is a steady demand for accessories made of noble metal. But, unfortunately, it is precisely because of this popularity that you can often stumble upon a cheap fake. Therefore, if you are going to buy silver jewelry, it would be useful to know how to distinguish it from imitations made from other materials. We have selected for you simple, fast, but at the same time reliable ways to determine the naturalness of a metal.

Some of these methods can be used right in the jewelry store. For example, taking the offered product in your hands, try vigorously rubbing its surface. If dark spots appear on your fingers, the alloy contains too many foreign impurities, including zinc. High-grade silver does not leave any traces or fingerprints. You can also smell the jewelry - the noble metal has a specific pleasant smell that is quite easy to detect. But fakes, as a rule, do not smell of anything.

To carry out a more detailed check, you will need some equipment. So, you can study the thermal conductivity of the metal from which the work is made. Pure silver heats up almost instantly. By immersing a product made from it in boiling water for just a moment, you will immediately feel how it warms up and then heats up.

In addition, you can check the authenticity of silver items with a magnet - the fake will be instantly attracted to it, because simple iron is often used to reduce the cost of accessories.

You also have the opportunity to test the purity of the alloy through chemical reactions. To do this, you will need to trace the accessory with a lapis pencil or a piece of ordinary school chalk. At the same time, the color of real 925 silver does not change, while its imitation made from cheaper materials will turn black (if you used lapis) or cause the chalk to darken.

Sulfur ointment has a similar effect (you can buy it at any pharmacy). Rub the jewelry with this product and leave it like that for 2-3 hours, and then wipe thoroughly. After contact with this substance, the noble metal turns black, but the fake, on the contrary, remains the same. Silver also darkens if iodine is dropped onto it and then placed in direct sunlight. However, such authentication should be resorted to only as a last resort - getting rid of the resulting stain is quite difficult.

Recently, brass products coated with a thin silver plating have been found on the shelves. They will react to the procedures described above like a real noble metal, but they can still be identified. To do this, you need to run a needle across the surface of the accessory - the sparkling film will tear, and an alloy of a different shade will be revealed underneath. True, this technique is only suitable for brass works, and besides, it irrevocably spoils the appearance of the decoration.

But still, the most reliable way to avoid stumbling upon a fake is to purchase silver products from trusted manufacturers. Thus, in his works he uses only 925 sterling metal, which is distinguished by its presentability, quality and durability.

Rating

The rating includes the TOP 5 manufacturers of silver jewelry. Brand recognition, cost and quality of products, as well as customer reviews are taken into account.

5 – Amorem

A Russian company that quickly gained popularity, created in 2012. Their most recognizable product was initially rope bracelets with silver inserts. However, now the brand is promoted and has a large assortment for all groups of the population.

• Products are tested, 925 silver is used
• The basis of the concept is jewelry with meaning

4 - Jewelry Palace

This brand is registered in Beijing, China. The store specializes in online sales around the world through AliExpress. The assortment includes a huge selection of all kinds of silver jewelry and sets.

• Made using 925 sterling silver, there is an imprint
• The scale of production in China is extremely large, you can always find the jewelry you like

3 – Sokolov

The history of this Russian brand goes back more than 25 years. In 1993, the creators registered the Diamant brand, which in 2014 transformed into Sokolov.

• Products are made exclusively from 925 standard bank metal
• The jewelry has manufacturer's code and hallmark stamps.
• Modern European technologies are used in the creation

2 - PANDORA

This company was founded in Denmark in 1982. This brand became world famous for its bracelet model with removable elements (charms), allowing the buyer to create his own unique piece of jewelry. A representative office in Russia was opened nine years ago.

• The company's production is located in Thailand
• There are currently more than 800 charms in the collection

1 - Tiffany&Co

The history of the Tiffany jewelry company goes back more than 180 years; it was created in the USA in 1837. Over the many decades of its existence, the company has had both ups and downs, but today this brand is considered almost the most recognizable in the world.

• The first company in history to use 925 sterling silver as the basis for jewelry
• Several jewelry collections are released annually, all of them are unique.
• The company was one of the first to acquire its own style - the brand’s famous turquoise-blue hue is registered as a trademark

Why do you need to insulate your house?

The answer to the question of why to insulate a house lies on the surface. This is necessary so that you can always hide in the building from the cold. In order to relax in complete comfort, of course, there must be some options for insulating a private home, especially if it has neither a fireplace nor a stove. Of course, you can use electric heating systems; there are a great variety of them now.

But it is very important that the house not only heats, but also retains heat as best as possible. To do this, during the renovation it is necessary to think through and carry out additional work on insulating a private house with your own hands. The main heat loss occurs through windows, doors and walls. You can also insulate the floor, this will create additional comfort.

The walls have the largest surface area compared to all other parts of the building. Therefore, you should take care first of all about how to insulate walls in a private house. It is necessary to think over insulation options at that stage of repair work when finishing of the facade has not yet begun. Perhaps the choice of cladding will depend on which option you choose.

Why, when talking about insulating the walls of a private house, does this article imply that thermal insulation will be installed outside and not inside the room? Because this is the most effective way to reduce heat loss. Internal insulation not only reduces living space, but is also ineffective.

You can resort to it only in cases where it is impossible to do this from the outside, that is, if we are talking about a city apartment in a multi-story building. A country house allows you to install external thermal insulation without much hassle. There are two types of insulation of the facade of a private house - wet and dry. They differ in the method of applying layers of insulation and in the materials used.

The following describes how to insulate external walls in a private house using the wet method.

Silver samples: which is the best?

Only jewelers know that pure silver is a precious metal that is not only beautiful, but also impractical. The highest standard of silver means not only quality, but softness, difficulty of processing and rapid loss of gloss. If you intensively use openwork jewelry made of pure silver, and even more so if you clean it with abrasive materials, then it will become smooth and lose its relief. This threatens the decoration with loss of expressiveness and artistic value. What are the hallmarks of silver, and what does this mean in terms of the use of the metal in jewelry and other activities?

As a result, master jewelers from all over the world began to use in their work not pure silver, but alloys with alloyed metal. But each master has his own percentage of ligature additions. Some consider it acceptable to add no more than 5%, while others “dilute” the source material by half with additives. Each alloy has its own characteristics, and the choice of jewelers depends on the purpose of the product.

How to care for silver

You already know how to choose cutlery. All that remains is to clarify how to care for them so that they last a long time and bring a lot of joy to your family.

Silverware often darkens and tarnishes, so immediately after use it should be washed with warm water and soap without sponges or abrasives. After this, wipe it with a soft cloth. If the silver has darkened, it needs to be cleaned.

There are ready-made mixtures for cleaning silver items on sale, but you can also use homemade methods. Mix five parts of unboiled water, two parts of ammonia and one part of natural tooth powder without additives. Apply the liquid to a piece of flannel and clean the silver, then rinse it with cool water and dry it with a towel.

There are a few more life hacks. Never wash all types of silver cutlery in the dishwasher and do not store them in polyethylene - only in a soft cloth. And in order to prevent plaque formation, place activated carbon tablets in the cupboard with dishes. At the first sign of darkening, simply polish the surface of the dishes with a dry cloth and they will always look amazing.

Types of sample

What are the hallmarks of this precious metal? On the finished silver product there is a numerical value indicating the ratio of metal and alloy. Jewelry, dishes and decorative items are made from samples of the following basic values:

1. 720— a metal that is susceptible to oxidation and changes over time. Mainly used for making small parts of clothing: buttons, clasps and zippers.
2. 800 and 825 are metals suitable for the production of tableware and interior elements. A high percentage of silver content (80 - 83%) is suitable for the active use of objects made from such metal in everyday life. Periodically, an oxidizing film forms on products, which must be removed.
3. 875 and 916 are high-quality metals that are actively used for the production of gift sets, wine glasses, glasses, ashtrays and glasses. To add sophistication to silver items of this standard, jewelers often complement their finishing with gilding.
4. 925— a classic and proven combination of ligature additives and pure metal. Is this a good test or not? Products of this sample retain their beautiful appearance and are resistant to air and water.
5. 960— in appearance and physical properties it is equivalent to pure silver. However, such metal is short-lived, so it is almost never used for making dishes or jewelry.
6. 999— pure silver, highest standard. Most often stored in bullion, it is sometimes used to produce fine jewelry or decorative items.

Often silver (for example, 825) is added to 525 gold to increase the durability of the product and reduce its price.

Special and rare varieties of silver samples

In addition to the described types of samples, there are others, but these options are considered the most popular among jewelers. Other countries use other systems: in Canada and the USA - carat, and in ancient times - spool (for example, 92sf is 960 silver). You can also meet other types of alloys:

1. 750 – high copper content and darkens very quickly;
2. 720 and below is base silver that has a yellowish tint and is used industrially because it has high electrical conductivity.

There are also rare types of samples:

• 325 is Tibetan silver, which was previously considered a high-quality alloy for making jewelry. Today, the composition may not contain any precious metal at all and is used to produce counterfeits;
• 500 – an alloy with a low proportion of argentum, from which coins were minted;
• 525,585,625 - gold samples to which silver is added are sometimes indicated as gilded silver;
• 825 - such a sample does not exist, and scammers often put it on stamps;
• 835, 800 and 900 – silver alloy used in Germany;
• 916 – was popular in Soviet times with a barrel stamp. The alloy was needed to produce dishes and ritual items.

All of these types of silver have their own special characteristics and were used in a specific historical period. Today they are extremely rare.

How to measure a sample?

There are two systems used to measure precious metal samples: metric and carat . In Russia, metric measurement of the quality of metals has been adopted since 1927. However, when buying jewelry abroad, you need to first familiarize yourself with the ratio of measurement scales for one and another method:

• 20 carats = 830 standard;
• 21 carats = 875th standard;
• 22 carats = 925th standard;
• 23 carats = 960th standard;
• 24 carats = 999th purity.

Option for dry external insulation of a private house

This type of insulation of the facade of a private house from the outside is called “wet” because one of the elements of the heat-insulating structure is plaster, which covers the layer of insulation located underneath it. It itself has excellent heat-saving properties, provides sound insulation and at the same time can serve as a façade cladding. Therefore, the wet type of insulation solves several problems at once. In addition, it is quite simple in technology and does not require large financial costs.

Thermal insulation in this case is a three-layer structure: an inner layer (reinforcing or adhesive), the heat-insulating layer itself and an outer protective layer made of a thin plaster mixture, which can also serve as the finishing of the building.

For the dry option of insulating walls in a private house, do it yourself using ready-made panels made of heat-insulating material.

These can be sandwich panels, polystyrene foam boards, polystyrene foam boards, fiberboard boards, mineral wool sheets, etc. The choice of materials is very diverse, and the range is increasing every year. At the moment, polystyrene foam, fiberboard and mineral boards are considered the most effective insulation materials.

One of the methods of dry insulation of the walls of a private house from the outside is a three-layer system, or the so-called well masonry. The principle of this type of thermal insulation is that the insulation is placed between two layers - outer and inner. The wall of the building itself acts as the inner layer.

The outer layer is the facing material. As a rule, brick is used for cladding in such a structure. Thus, insulation is attached to the wall using mechanical fasteners or a metal profile frame. And then the wall is covered with bricks over the entire area (the thickness of the masonry is usually one brick).

Which sample is better?

The best samples are characterized by resistance to external influences and retain their unique shade. But jewelry and utensils made of silver, the share of which is 96 - 99%, have too high ductility and are unsuitable for daily use.

So what is better - which sample? It depends on the purpose of the product. When choosing interior items, dishes or jewelry, you need to pay attention to products of 875 and 925 samples. It is this metal that gives jewelers the opportunity to realize the most unusual ideas. However, if the alloy contains more copper, then its popularity decreases due to the yellowish tint of the products, but the strength will be increased.

The alloy of silver with cadmium is also highly valued, because such a metal acquires a noble white tint and increased mechanical resistance.

Metal that has won recognition all over the world

The beauty of noble silver has been known since time immemorial. Exactly when it was discovered remains a mystery to us. But, judging by written sources, silver jewelry was made by the ancient Egyptians. At that time, such jewelry was much rarer than gold, and therefore was very valuable.

If we look at the etymology of the word “silver”, we will notice that it comes from the Sanskrit word “argenta”, which means “light”. Indeed, the metal is naturally silvery-white in color.

Silver is quite rare in the depths of the earth. It is for this reason that it can safely be classified as a precious material.

By its nature it is a very soft metal with characteristic ductility. This property allows the material to be processed with particular ease.

Stretch, stretch, roll into thin plates - anything can be done with such metal. However, jewelers in most cases do not prefer to use pure silver to create jewelry. Why? The fact is that high-grade silver jewelry is easily deformed.

Pure silver is an excellent raw material for creating items such as collectible silver coins and bank silver bars. But in creating jewelry, craftsmen most often use alloys of silver with other non-ferrous and precious metals.

You may be interested in: What is rhodium plated silver, advantages and disadvantages, care rules

Silver is often found in combination with copper. Such material will fill silver with new and amazing properties. Jewelry items made from silver-copper alloy are very durable and hold their shape well. And they are not afraid of oxidation and corrosion.

Silver is a universal material that suits everyone. It looks equally good on both women and men. Typically, jewelry craftsmen use a high-grade alloy in their work.

This metal looks great in combination with other materials. These are gold, pearls, ivory, corals, and colored precious stones.

As for low-grade alloys, they make good table products, such as knives, forks, spoons, etc. Designers also often use such silver to make various home decor. These can be candlesticks, decorative vases, figurines and other table decorations.

Varieties of silver

What to give preference to : light or dark metal?

Buyers are accustomed to seeing white silver on store shelves and do not think that there are several varieties of the precious metal. Silver differs in color and composition:

1. Blackened - the production of such metal is preceded by a complex technological process. Blackened objects are popular among connoisseurs of exclusivity and lovers of amulets (such metal is believed to have mystical properties).
2. Sterling is 925 silver with a beautiful shine and exquisite white color. This type of metal received its name thanks to the English coins that were minted from it.
3. Matte - the popularity of silver jewelry is growing, but buyers want something new and unusual. That's why jewelers invented matte silver - by treating the surface of the product with special corrosive substances or a sandblasting machine. Jewelry is first made and then processed at the final stage, giving the pieces a unique look.
4. Filigree - filigree manufacturing technology involves soldering many thin silver wires together. The high cost of filigree products is due to the high demands on the skill of the jeweler and the complexity of their manufacture.

Jewelry silver

Jewelry silver is used in making jewelry. In ancient times, it had a higher value compared to gold. Its distinguishing feature from other types of metal is its impurities. In its pure form, it has a very high softness, which is inconvenient for making jewelry and not practical for wearing. Only technical silver is used in its pure form. Copper is most often added to argentum. Copper increases the wear resistance and strength of products. However, its significant drawback is oxidation. Because of this, silver jewelry with the addition of copper quickly darkens. Other impurities used are nickel, zinc, aluminum and cadmium. Nickel can cause allergies. But adding cadmium will significantly increase the cost of the product. Since it itself is an expensive metal. Any piece of jewelry made from argentum must be stamped indicating the purity. As a rule, this is 925 standard, however, 875, 916, 960 standard are also considered high-quality alloys.

Technical metal and imitation

Technical silver is distinguished by its lack of fineness and precious metal content of less than 80%. This metal has its advantages - it is durable and lightweight, has good electrical conductivity and conducts light well. Therefore, technical silver has found its application in electronics and apparatus parts , as well as in industrial production.

have long been known , which formed the basis for the manufacture of silver ionizers for water and the popularity of silver tableware and jewelry. Due to the high cost of the metal, there is always a risk of it being counterfeited by fraudsters. Imitation of silver also occurs in the decoration of monuments and the manufacture of decorative items. Precious metal substitutes are also used in production equipment. Usually, instead of silver, they use:

1. Nickel silver - this metal for the production of cutlery is necessarily coated with a small layer of pure silver. But when this layer wears off, a metallic taste will be felt when using nickel silver cookware.
2. Cupronickel , an alloy that has received this name, combines 84 sterling silver, copper, manganese and nickel. Dishes are made from it, but they cannot be called useful .

The minimum value of jewelry standard accepted in Russia is 800. Everything else must be designated as costume jewelry.

Cupronickel and nickel silver

In Soviet times, tableware made from cupronickel, which is an alloy of copper and nickel and has nothing in common with silver, was popular, although cupronickel looks similar to silver items. At the same time, dishes made of cupronickel heat up much more slowly than silver, and this is its advantage. Since the middle of the last century, nickel silver has been replaced by nickel silver, which is denoted by the abbreviation MNC.

Its composition is 65% copper, 15% nickel and 20% zinc. In terms of performance, cutlery made from nickel silver is closer to silver, but at the same time does not have its disadvantages - for example, they do not oxidize and last longer. Nickel silver is stronger than cupronickel and more resistant to external influences and temperature changes.

Therefore, if you decide which cutlery is better and cheaper, then in terms of the sum of all indicators, nickel silver is the most optimal choice. Of course, silver will always be unrivaled, but times are changing, and now more practical materials that are easier to care for are becoming relevant. In addition, as already mentioned, the MSC completely imitates silver products in appearance - it is no coincidence that this word is translated from German as “new silver.” True, you will not find a hallmark on such products.

Even though nickel silver is no longer produced, it can easily be found in antique shops, thrift stores and flea markets. Cupronickel silver products were marked MN - “copper-nickel”, but it was not customary to mark knives. Typically, good nickel silver cutlery was plated with a layer of 999 silver, so don’t be surprised if you see the corresponding mark on the product.

As for nickel silver, it is marked MNC - “copper-nickel-zinc”; Moreover, the cutlery has a gold, silver or blackened finish. You cannot use cookware without such a coating, as it has a pronounced metallic taste. Interestingly, nickel silver with a silver outer layer is approved by the Ministry of Health for use in the food industry.

Cutlery made from cupronickel quickly darkens, so they should not be left wet in the air. We used the dishes, washed them, immediately wiped them with a dry cloth and put them away, wrapping them in cloth. These cutlery also do not like the dishwasher, aggressive detergents and abrasive substances. The more gently you treat them, the longer they will last.

If they have darkened, they can be restored to a beautiful shine by rinsing in a soda solution - enough to take 50 g of powder per liter of water. Chalk and tooth powder give a good effect - they should be poured onto a suede cloth and wiped with it on tableware.

There is another good remedy that will help restore cupronickel products to their former beauty. Place a layer of foil on the bottom of an aluminum pan, lay out cutlery, fill with water, add 2 tbsp. l. soda and boil for 15 minutes. Rinse the dishes with cold water and dry with a soft cloth.

You can also use a melamine sponge for cleaning, which easily removes deposits from metal and restores shine to any dishes. To do this, you just need to wet the sponge with warm water and run it over the darkened surface.

Nickel silver, unlike silver and cupronickel, does not require constant care, since it darkens and tarnishes more slowly; it is much easier to care for. However, it is recommended to periodically wipe the devices with a soda solution and wipe dry after each wash.

Choosing cutlery is a very pleasant experience, and to ensure that they please you for a long time, use our tips and recommendations for care and storage. Surround yourself with beauty in your everyday life!

Rules for choosing silver products

Please note that when buying dishes or jewelry at local markets in foreign countries, you can get cupronickel or technical silver instead of the promised silver. It is almost impossible to distinguish them externally, but even short-term use will reveal all the shortcomings of counterfeit silver.

It is safest to buy jewelry and tableware in trusted jewelry stores or directly from the manufacturer through an online store .

Not sure which sample to choose? Choose based on the purpose of the product. For example, household silver with 87.5% pure metal in its composition is suitable for tableware, and for jewelry it is better to pay attention to silver with 925 purity.

What you need to know about 925 standard - gold or silver, composition, price per gram

Silver price
How much does 925 silver cost? The price per gram of 925 silver in Russia for 2021 ranges from 45 to 120 rubles per gram.

The final cost is influenced by many factors: the weight of the product, the manufacturer’s trademark, fineness, the price of metal on international exchanges, the markup for retail sales. It is best to focus on average prices in pawn shops. Expensive silver may simply be the result of disproportionate markups.

Author of the article: Eva Lavrova

25.07.19

Often participants in specialized jewelry forums are interested in the question: what is included in the 925 alloy, is it gold or silver? Let's figure out what metal with a purity of 925 consists of. What do these numbers mean?

In order to determine the metal by sample, you need to know what assay systems for gold and silver exist.

In Russia and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a system has been adopted according to which the following samples of gold are distinguished:

• 375, which has a reddish tint, turning into grayish when polishing is lost;
• 583rd, which is an alloy of gold and copper, due to which a reddish tint predominates in it;
• 585th, which has different shades from red and pink to yellow and white;
• 750th, which includes silver and copper;
• 958th, bright yellow alloy.

Silver standards accepted in Russia are as follows:

• 800th;
• 830th;
• 875th;
• 925th;
• 960th.

It is important! Thus, a sample value of 925 indicates that the alloy contains a larger amount of silver, namely about 92.5% of the total composition of the alloy.

Peculiarities

925 silver is called differently:

• Sterling silver;
• silver standard;
• standard silver;
• sterling.

Pure silver, which does not contain any impurities, is a very soft metal. That is why it is unsuitable for the production of jewelry, coinage and other things. To give silver strength, copper is dissolved in it. But this combination leads to the loss of the natural shine that silver is endowed with.

The silver alloy, which contains 92.5% pure precious metal, holds the shape of the product well, is not damaged, and also allows you to enjoy the natural white color inherent in natural silver.

Did you know that hallmark number 925 is much stronger than pure 999 silver? It is more in demand among jewelers, who create real works of art from such an alloy.

The alloy number 925 may contain not only copper, but also, for example:

• platinum;
• germanium;
• zinc;
• silicon.

! The above metals when combined with silver produce unique colors and also allow you to change the oxidation ability of the precious metal.

925 silver is marked with the word “sterling” and is marked with a special sign, the image options of which depend on the country of origin.

Is it possible to determine the quality of silver yourself?

How to choose and buy the highest quality silver so as not to be deceived?

You can definitely find out the quality of the product by contacting a jeweler who will carry out an assessment. If the product is of poor quality, you can return it to the store within 14 days after purchase. You can also use express tests that are quite suitable for doing at home:

1. Testing with a magnet - a high-quality silver product will not be attracted to a magnet, however, some alloy metals do not react to magnetic influence.
2. Silver heats up well in the hand and cools quickly in a cold environment, for example, in the cold.
3. Pure metal will darken from sulfur ointment or iodine. To test the quality of the alloy, it is enough to leave a tiny spot on the product and check whether a trace remains. But if the silver is real, then it will not be easy to wipe it off.
4. You can check the authenticity of jewelry or tableware using chalk - real silver will darken upon contact with the rock.

Chemical properties of silver

Silver is a heavy, ductile, relatively soft metal with the highest electrical and thermal conductivity. These characteristics are the main reason for its use in industry. You will be surprised, but only 20% of the total silver production is spent on the production of jewelry and noble tableware on a global scale.

Argentum does not dissolve in hydrochloric or dilute sulfuric acids, but dilutes in ferric chloride. The resulting substance is used for etching - removing the surface layer from metal products, removing rust, scale, and oxides. From silver dissolved in mercury, an amalgam is obtained, which is used in the production of mirrors and fluorescent lamps, and decorative gilding.

Silver objects should be kept away from iodine and hydrogen sulfide: the metal, when it reacts with them (especially at high humidity), darkens or becomes covered with an iridescent sulfide film. It can only be cleaned mechanically.

It is curious, but, not being a bioelement, argentum is able to influence the vital activity of microbes and bacteria. For example, a small silver coin thrown into water disinfects it and maintains freshness for five to six months. But you should not consume foods saturated with silver ions on an ongoing basis. The accumulation of metal in the body is fraught with the development of the unpleasant, incurable disease argyrosis.