All About Sterling Silver

Silver is a favorite and preferred white metal by many, with a history spanning centuries. Once upon a time, silver was valued even higher than gold due to its high-quality alloys. However, over time, they learned to add impurities and some metals to it, which led to the loss of its original value. Silver began to be labeled with different samples.

The term "sterling silver" means that some impurities are added to the noble metal.... Sterling is used to create exquisite coinage, all kinds of jewelry, delicate cutlery, watch cases, coins and anything else that silver marked with a 999 fineness is not suitable for. The product gets its strength by combining silver with other metals (ligatures). At the same time, the plasticity of the alloy is preserved, and a noble shade appears. The 925 mark assumes 7.5% additions per 100 grams of silver directly.

Most often, the metal is alloyed with copper, which makes it possible to create an alloy with high quality characteristics, but not without flaw. Copper's tendency to oxidize when in contact with oxygen over time leads to the appearance of a dark coating on the product. And here with other ligature inclusions, sterling silver remains invariably light and glossy.

If you add platinum, zinc, titanium, cadmium or germanium to silver, the alloy will not be prone to darkening, but will have a significantly increased cost. The auxiliary elements are palladium, aluminum, silicon and boron. Sterling silver doped with cadmium is considered the most expensive.

The material in question is obtained by melting pure silver at 893 ° C. Copper added under such conditions not only combines with the main component, but also dissolves in it without a residue, forming a so-called solid solution. Mixing the components alone is not enough; after the melting procedure, the material is first fired to eliminate the inhomogeneity of the metal and increase its strength.

To obtain the necessary plasticity of the alloy, it is necessary to harden it, and then subject it to aging, bringing the temperature up to 300 ° C. After this stage, sterling silver becomes 2.5 times stronger. The completion of the product processing process is cleaning from plaque and whitening.

Directly from the name of the described alloy, it is easy to assume that it somehow refers to the British currency - the pound sterling. In reality the 925 marking alloy has a history of its own.

In England of the XII century one of the means of payment was the sterling silver coin. The monetary unit turned out to be at a high price, because it could be used to pay for expensive household items, jewelry and all kinds of values. The weight of 240 silver coins was equal to one pound. If the same amount of sterling weighed less than a pound, the coins were considered fake. There is another version of the appearance of such silver, according to which special coins were minted in Northern Germany in the 11th century for settlements with the British. This version was shared by the historian U. Pitchebek in 1955.

Gradually sterling spread to other countries as well.

The main advantages of sterling silver are considered to be attractive appearance and ductility with high strength of the alloy. It is not susceptible to oxidation, and products from it are durable enough for daily use. Sterling silver has bactericidal properties... The metal does not irritate the skin; after contact with it, no trace remains on it. Silver is resistant to external influences and does not corrode.

Quality 925 sterling silver items have special marking with information on the percentage of pure metal in them. The test of this marking indicates that for every kilogram of alloy, 92.5% of the white metal is accounted for. According to international standards, the sample must have the plant's trademark next to it. Sometimes the label "sterling" or its abbreviated version "ster" is found.

Sterling silver is used to create jewelry: earrings, rings, chains. It is not inferior in price to many precious alloys. For its noble shine, sterling silver is classified as a high-grade precious metal. At the same time, it serves for a long time and slowly oxidizes.

This material demonstrates good fusibility and easily takes the desired shape. Jewelry made from this metal has a high level of hardness and resistance to environmental influences.

Sterling silver is a ubiquitous material. Usually jewelry is made from it - it is an excellent alloy for the process of blackening and decoration with decorative enamel. Its color cannot be distinguished from an alloy of a higher standard; it looks amazingly harmonious as a frame for precious stones and pearls. Both exquisite cutlery and crockery are made from sterling alloy.

How to understand what is the difference between sterling silver and pure metal? Silver is a silvery white hard but ductile metal. Over time, under the influence of hydrogen sulfide in the air, a sulphide coating appears on the tarnished metal. Tarnishing of silver is its first drawback, clearly visible on jewelry. The less copper is present in the alloy, the greater the stability of the joint.

Pure silver is not used by jewelers in their work.It is also not used for the production of tableware. To improve the quality characteristics, copper or aluminum is included in its composition. To protect the jewelry from damage and darkening, it is rhodium-plated. A layer of this coating gives the silver product a snow-white tint. Only in this way processed silver is not to everyone's liking. Many people prefer natural color jewelry.

Sterling silver is ideal for creating bracelets, pendants, crosses, earrings, etc. Such jewelry looks elegant and graceful, especially in a company with precious stones. Also, excellent silverware and decorative items are cast from the alloy. A huge amount of jewelry and decorative ornaments from the described alloy is produced in Southeast Asia, in particular, in China.

But the properties of the metal are not limited to the jewelry industry. It is used in technical field, medicine, etc. Specialists in saxophone production celebrate the amazing sound of sterling silver. Many flagships of the musical instrument industry, such as Selmer and Yanagisawa, use this alloy. It is believed that thanks to him, instruments acquire the ability to sound better. In Europe, sterling silver is used to produce decorative items and tableware - tea sets, cutlery, etc.

Silver-based alloy is becoming more and more popular, and therefore its cost is increasing. Prices for jewelry depend on the territorial location of the manufacturer, as well as on the complexity and uniqueness of the work.

Prices for rings start at 450 rubles, the simplest earrings can be purchased for 580, a bracelet from 280, and a chain for at least 600 rubles. The price of a sterling silver item also depends on labor costs. For example, in China it is lower than in other countries. The influence of this factor is noticeably reflected in the appraisal of jewelry and other items.

The rise in the value of sterling silver is also influenced by the decline in reserves of the precious metal throughout the planet. For this period, the average price per gram of silver is $ 0.62. The low cost of Chinese products made from this metal should raise the alertness of the buyer.

When making a purchase of jewelry in an online jewelry store, it is imperative to read the product reviews from those who have already placed orders. In this regard, it is more convenient to make purchases through social networks, having carefully studied the information of customers who have already managed to evaluate the products with their own eyes. It should be understood that the price of silver should not be too low. Products made from it do not change their properties for a long time. And light blackening is easy enough to clean at home.

Over time, jewelry made of silver of 925-th test darkens slightly. This does not happen with pure silver, because the metal without impurities is chemically inactive and interacts with oxygen only at high temperatures. The 925th test alloy contains insignificant admixtures of copper, therefore, over time, a natural patina will appear on it - silver sulfide.

Slight darkening on silver items is a natural process caused by metal aging. To prevent further destruction, 925 sterling silver items are applied artificial patina.

Sterling silver alloy products need proper care or they will lose their original appeal.If the item is used frequently, it is exposed to moisture and sunlight.

Jewelry professionals give the following recommendations for the care of sterling silver jewelry.

1. You need to clean the darkened areas with tooth powder, diluted ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. It is advisable to use a soft cloth that will not scratch the metal.
2. Do not mechanically clean the plaque, as the coating may be accidentally damaged.
3. Store sterling silver in a dark place.

An effective way to restore natural radiance to sterling clothes is boiling in a soda solution. For the cleaning procedure, 1 tbsp is added to one glass of water. l. baking soda. Food foil is placed on the bottom of the water tank. The product is left in boiling water for 15 minutes.

To preserve the beauty of silver jewelry, it is better to use a professional cleaning in the salon. It is impossible to carry out such a procedure at home. Special means are needed, from which things will take on their original appearance, and the coating will remain intact.

For information on how to clean silver from black plaque, see the next video.