What Do You Know About Sterling Silver?

What do you really know about STERLING SILVER? That is one of those phrases that we have heard so often, we don't really think about what it means. Most often seeing the word "sterling" in front of silver makes one think of quality and this is certainly not an incorrect idea. Sterling silver is mostly used to make silverware and jewelry. Sterling silver is an alloy that is made up of 92.5% silver. (And just in case alloy is another one of those words that you are familiar with but not really sure about: an alloy is made up to two or more metals. Alloys can also be made of a metal and a nonmetal).

Since silver is so very valuable, you may wonder why anyone would mix it with something else. Well, fine silver (that is silver that is 99.9% pure) is not substantial enough to be used to form things like silverware or silver serving dishes. When combined with another metal, such as copper, silver becomes much more sturdy, yet malleable enough to make silverware and other silver objects. People who make silver choose metals other than copper to alter porosity or to make their products less likely to tarnish. Adding another metal does not ruin the silver; it makes it much more useful. Less than 10% of the additional metal is added to silver.

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