What is 925 sterling silver: characteristics, application, care

Global demand for silver products is growing steadily. However, when looking for the coveted engraving of the quality certificate, many are confused about the difference between the numbers “925” and “965,” and the name “sterling silver” is sometimes even mistaken for “sterile silver.”

What is this seemingly insignificant difference and why is sterling used on such a large scale around the world? Let's analyze the meaning and use of 925 sample point by point.

What it is?

Silver is a soft metal, ductile, malleable and susceptible to external influences. This means that it is easily damaged, it becomes covered with oxide and darkens from sunlight and other external factors. However, a small addition of a diluting metal to the alloy turns it into a standard of beauty and reliability, valued by jewelers for its special qualities.

Over the years, chemists have experimented with adding various cheap metals (zinc, platinum), but nothing has worked better than copper. Today, 925 sterling silver is a white alloy, 1000 grams of which contains 925 grams of silver and 75 grams of copper. It differs from ordinary silver in its durability and resistance to external influences (natural silver is susceptible to corrosion, becomes tarnished over time and becomes covered with a coating of sulfides).

Sterling silver is less ductile, convenient to use and process, does not deteriorate even with daily wear as jewelry and is not affected by sweat, grease, or sunlight. Both precious items and various decorative items are made from it with equal success. In Europe, the production of tableware is especially popular - candlesticks, tea sets, cutlery, etc. Various jewelry is produced all over the world - silver rings with stones, pendants, earrings, crosses and personalized bracelets, engraved coins, etc.

However, the properties of silver are not limited to jewelry. As an element of the periodic table, it is used in technology, medicine and other fields. However, its alloy with 7.5% copper in its composition has firmly established itself in the areas of financial and jewelry activities.

Reason to think

The market economy is far from fairy-tale fantasies; it is hardly possible to buy Solomon’s silver ring several times cheaper than its cost. However, realistic prices are also a reason to be wary - perhaps this is the same brass jewelry, but much more expensive.

Do you like to play roulette and love adrenaline? Welcome to the expanses of foreign online trading! Brave experimenters who are willing to pay for their experiments are at a premium there.

Only Solomon's ring is made of genuine silver, you will never find low-quality jewelry at sales.

King Solomon's ring is a symbol of wisdom, and wisdom has nothing to do with it.

Where did the name come from?

It is difficult to give a definite answer. One of the most common opinions is that the name comes from pounds sterling. The alloy 925 silver has been used for coinage in England since the 12th century, and its percentage has become ingrained in minds as “coin silver.” For centuries, it was valued almost higher than gold and was extremely popular in the global financial market. In the modern world, its currency value is outdated - banks still store bullion, but their value can no longer be compared with the “gold fund”.

However, gold was not lucky enough to capture another, everyday sphere - the practicality of silver alloys was noted from the period of manual everyday use of coins and the value of sterling silver today is expressed in the huge quantity and variability of stored products.

Another version of the origin of the name is easterling silver, which over time was shortened to sterling. It is believed that the alloy, which was used for minting coins, originally appeared in Germany.

One way or another, such a coin alloy has established itself as durable, easy to use, reliable and has gained worldwide popularity, which has survived to this day. Its financial equivalent retains its value in bank bullion, which is now cast exclusively in 999 fineness.

Savings in selection

Not silver, oh well! It’s beautiful and shiny, if you get tired of it, you can throw it away, don’t mind. Just know what you get, albeit for little money:

Questionable quality. Chinese silver jewelry is quite fragile and requires careful handling. Long-lived products last 2 years; most break down or become unpresentable much earlier.
Unknown composition. In Chinese jewelry, meticulous buyers discovered lead and nickel, which cause an allergic reaction, as well as dyes. Not the most suitable composition for “shooting” silver, right?
No guarantees. The distant seller does not bear any responsibility to Russian buyers: the return rate is very small, and there are practically no people willing to deal with this procedure. It is not surprising that the orders of our compatriots are often treated inattentively - they send blatant defects and leftover sizes.

By the way, high-quality jewelry, which you can buy in any shopping center, costs the same, but will last much longer. And if you calculate the costs of products that turned out to be outright defective, do not match the photo or are not the right size, then the benefit is more than dubious.

Of course, a low price can cover a number of shortcomings and make you turn a blind eye to some flaws. But, before you count the money you will save on buying precious jewelry, think about the fact that the Chinese Solomon ring will have to be removed at night and constantly cleaned. This fate, which is suitable for inexpensive “disposable” jewelry, is unacceptable for a piece of jewelry with meaning - a faithful friend and helper. The ring of King Solomon simply must be comfortable and of high quality, so as not to cause any trouble to its owner and bring joy for many years.

Of course, not all Chinese stores are the same: high-quality silver products can be found everywhere, but their cost will not be lower than $6-10 per 1 gram, and not for the entire piece of jewelry. That is, no lower than in the jewelry store around the corner.

Jewelry from China - what is it?

Given the growing popularity of online shopping, in particular on AliExpress, the choice of products should be treated with special care. Sterling 925 from China often runs the risk of being counterfeited, especially when the buyer is offered an apparently low price.

Often counterfeits involve jewelry that turns out to be simple jewelry. For example, the 925 mark may be on a silver clasp, while the rest of the jewelry, indistinguishable in appearance, will simply be low-grade costume jewelry. Manufacturers are silent about this fact and act simply - the word silver, which refers to the entire product and is perceived by the buyer as a description of the material of manufacture, is in fact just the specified color of the product - “silver”.

Another forgery is the substitution of the concepts “silver” and “coated with silver plating.” The world standard recognizes 3 types of use of silver in coating a product:

pure silver coating (SP – silver plated);
sterling silver plated (SSP);
silver plating over copper (Silver on copper – EPC).

“Omitting” the additional word plated, thereby concealing the fact of coating is an unfair, but quite common infringement of the client’s rights and awareness. The greater the weight of the purchased product, the greater the financial loss from the difference.

However, it is quite easy to distinguish a fake - just scratch the Chinese sterling silver along the surface in an inconspicuous place and find metal of a different shade under the top layer. In this case, the client has every right to return the purchase - however, some online purchases with delivery do not have such an option, and when ordering, the website immediately indicates the impossibility of returning the product due to violation of quality standards.

If the manufacturer lowers the price, does not provide quality certificates (in China there are mandatory product inspections) and does not leave the client the right to return the purchase within 14 days, it is worth considering whether the “precious” alloy being offered is really genuine? It’s a shame to buy only slightly silver-plated jewelry instead of a silver item.

How to choose a silver product on Aliexpress?

For many people, the word silver covers not only a precious metal, but also jewelry with silver: rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants, etc. This can be either costume jewelry or genuine silver jewelry. In the second case, silver jewelry can be quite expensive.

But Aliexpress is a platform where you can buy whatever your heart desires, including silver items. Therefore, if you are wondering which product is better to choose, then the answer is simple: order exactly what you like. Aliexpress has a large selection of not only simple silver jewelry, but also designer silver items. Pay attention to the seller's rating on the Aliexpress website. The quality of the product depends on this indicator. If a store has earned the trust of customers, then you should choose it for purchase.

Video - Comparison of silver from a boutique and Aliexpress, what's the difference

Prices for this alloy

The world's reserves of natural silver are irreplaceable, which means that its price will only increase over time, like any other limited resource. At the moment, the average price on the world market for 925 sterling silver is at least $0.6 per gram. However, here we are talking about the weight of pure metal - if you add to the cost the work of a jeweler and other components of the cost of the original product, then you should expect at least $4 per gram.

If the proposed cost of the products is lower, then it is worth considering whether you need to buy even a gram of the product if you do not know what grade the alloy is actually, and whether there is a catch here. Perhaps, instead of copper, a cheaper metal was used in the alloy - or the amount of silver is much less than the required 92.5% of the mass. The price for a pure alloy may be more than 60 cents - the cost is not fixed and depends on the country of origin, the complexity of processing the product, etc.

Tips and tricks for choosing silver products on Aliexpress

Please pay attention to the cost of the product. Don't buy the cheapest item in hopes of saving money and getting an inexpensive piece of jewelry. Not only will you not save money, but you may also end up with a low-quality product.
Evaluate the product visually. Take a closer look at the product so that it has no flaws. Anything that requires improvement must be indicated in the product description.
Evaluate the quality of the silver itself. A silver product will not be cheap, since a high-quality alloy is used for its production. Low-quality alloys can reduce the cost.
Please note whether the seller has a quality certificate for the product. When purchasing a product, pay attention to the presence of such a certificate.
Look at how long the store has been in business.

Product care

In order for the noble alloy to retain its valuable properties for a long time - pure white tint, shine, unclouded and undamaged surface - appropriate measures are required. Sterling silver jewelry requires attention and care, because even excellent original qualities cannot resist a lot of sun, rubbing, and pollution.

A few simple rules will help you take care of your products:

Do not perform mechanical cleaning. Even with permanent metal additions, silver still remains malleable and soft, so you can accidentally leave a scratch on it, damage the surface and permanently ruin the appearance of the product.
It is better to store unused silver in a protected place. It is better to wrap jewelry that will not be worn in the near future in a thick, soft cloth (for example, a velvet bag) and place it where it will be protected from direct sunlight. It is recommended to do the same with utensils used strictly on holidays.
For cleaning, use a soft cloth and special cleaning compounds. This can be either a ready-made jewelry napkin, pre-impregnated with the necessary substance, or a piece of fabric, which is used to rub silver until it shines after treatment with a mixture of tooth powder, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. This method is convenient for silverware when a large percentage of the surface needs to be cleaned.

In cases where it seems impossible to get rid of blackening or contamination at home, it is better to seek help from professionals. In a certified jewelry showroom or workshop, silver will be cleaned efficiently without compromising its quality and appearance.

A spoon of tar

It happens that after a purchase it is discovered that Tibetan silver, which is famous for its quality, turned out to be a fake from China. In most cases, enterprising sellers from China sell items made from the following metals under the guise of jewelry:

lead;
tin;
zinc.

Lead melts at a low temperature, the cost of this metal is much lower. In addition, lead can cause allergies and also negatively affect human health. In rare cases, exposure to lead can cause toxic brain damage and can cause death.