Jewelry Glossary

Like gold, pure silver or fine silver is relatively soft and pliable. Because of this, fine jewelry can be easily damaged if created from pure silver. As a consequence, silver is commonly alloyed with other metal, usually copper, to create a stronger precious metal. Unlike gold, but like platinum, silver purities are expressed as a percent of purity. The most regularly seen silver purities are: 958 or 95.8 percent pure silver, and 925 or 92.5 percent pure silver (stamps could also say 92.5 and .925) 925 silver is known as sterling silver.

See also: Sterling silver  Alloy