Sterling silver is very commonly used to make jewelry. In fact, among silver jewelry, sterling silver is probably the most common and most known silver sought after worldwide. But what is actually Sterling silver and what makes it famous, especially when it comes to silver jewelry?
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The addition of the the other metal – often called a base metal – serves to harden the resulting alloy so that the metal can be cast into shapes that it will retain with use. Sterling silver jewelry made of just the right combination of silver and metal allows a jeweler to create a long lasting, durable piece that is shiny and brilliant enough to be mistaken for more expensive precious metals.
Why not pure silver to make silver jewelry?
Fine silver (99.9% pure) is generally too soft for production of large functional objects; therefore, the silver is usually alloyed with copper to give it strength, while at the same time preserving the ductility and beauty of the precious metal (just like in the case of Sterling silver jewelry). This is just the same reason why pure gold is not used to make gold jewelry.
Sterling silver also tarnish over time, but with proper care, this mild side effect can be minimized and you will be able to retain the beautiful shine and luster of your sterling silver jewelry.
Beautiful Sterling silver jewelry name necklace
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