925 Sterling Silver Explanation

You might be wondering what 925 sterling silver actually means?

925 sterling silver is an alloy that contains of 92.5% silver and the remaining 7.5% is a stronger metal added to give strength to the soft silver metal. The additional metals used in jewellery are either copper, zinc or nickel.

Most silversmiths prefer using copper because some people with sensitive skin can have nickel allergies. However, some makers go with nickel and/or zinc, which do not impact the quality of silver in anyway.

Pure silver is composed of 99.9% silver and 00.1% metallic component, such as copper. Wearing pure silver jewellery is not feasible because it's too soft to hold a shape for very long. It needs to be blended with another metal component to make it harder and more durable, but still pliable enough to be able to be worked and shaped into the various beautiful designs that people adorn themselves with.

So the simple difference between silver and sterling silver is the percentage of other metals included. 

Most countries in the world have strict guidelines and standards regarding the ratio of silver and other metals in 925 sterling silver, and the 92.5:7.5ratio is the most common in the world, but some countries may use different ratios.