Understanding Sterling Silver
Many people are under the mistaken impression that sterling silver is pure silver. That is incorrect. Pure silver is metal that is 99.9% pure. Sterling silver is an alloy made up of 92.5% silver. The balance 7.5% is made up of other metals, the most common of which is copper.
Pure silver, also referred to as fine silver, is a very soft metal and being so ductile and malleable cannot be used for the production of any items that have a functional purpose or are under stress or pressure. Under these conditions pure silver objects will lose their shape and structural integrity. Pure silver is most used for making fine jewelry where its softness is an advantage when fine workmanship is required.
Large silver items are usually made using silver alloyed with other metals like copper or titanium which provide the alloy with strength and rigidity. Since sterling silver must have 92.5% pure silver, it is strong yet ductile enough for shaping into intricate pieces of cutlery and so on.
While the silver content of sterling silver remains fixed, the other metals used to make the alloy may vary so that the alloy is best suited for a specific application. This may include using metals that will increase the resistance to tarnishing, eliminate firescale and even reduce casting porosity. Among the metals most often used to create the alloy are platinum, zinc and germanium. Additive are sometimes added to the alloy when the final application requires it. Sterling silver containing silicon and boron are common.
Irrespective of the other metal used to create the alloy, sterling silver is valued on the basis of its fixed silver content of 92.5% and the other components of the alloy are not taken into account. Sterling silver will always be sterling silver even if the 7.5% is made up of tin or the basest of metals.
A lot of development is being done on sterling silver, and experiments using a variety of other metals and compounds are constantly being tried. However, as of now copper is still the most common other metal used to make the alloy.
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