A Guide to Silver

What is Silver?

Silver is a chemical element that appears as a gleaming white metal. It is valued for a multitude of reasons because it is rare, ductile, and glossy. However, it tarnishes with time and rapidly turns black if not properly maintained.

1. Fine Silver

2. Sterling Silver

With a purity level of 92.5%, sterling Silver is the most valuable type of Silver that can still be used to craft jewellery and the most expensive Silverware.

It is a result of alloying Silver with 7.5% copper and nickel. The presence of any of these other metals increases the durability of the Silver. It is hypoallergenic, with only rare, old pieces containing zinc that could possibly cause irritation.

3. Other Types of Silver

There are several more types of silver that are either infrequently utilised for commercial reasons or are just known as silver in name.

Britannia Silver is 95.84% silver and 4.16% copper, and its suppleness makes it ideal for craft projects and Silver bullion. Meanwhile, German or nickel silver isn't actually silver at all, since it's an alloy of nickel, copper, tin, zinc, and other metals.

The History and Significance of Silver

Silver was one of the first metals used by mankind, with Silver objects unearthed in Greece and Turkey dating from as far back as 4000 BC. Up to 1500 BC, the Ancient Egyptians esteemed it more than gold.

Because early civilizations had not invented means for hardening silver, it was primarily utilised for barter and coinage. Silver coins were traded for resources by the Greeks and Romans. Tens of thousands of tonnes of silver were mined by the Roman Empire throughout Central Europe.

Silver was alloyed with bronze by the Celts for jewellery, and its basic form was employed as ring money. Around 800 AD, Viking raids in Central Europe brought silver to Scandinavia, which was later utilised to make jewellery. The discovery of Swedish silver resources at the same period resulted in more Europeans wearing silver jewellery during the Middle Ages.

The Aztec and Incan cultures created silver jewellery using cupellation technology, which separated silver from ores and alloyed metals. During the 16th century, Spain's conquest of Central and South America resulted in tremendous silver output, facilitating the country's imperial ambitions.

Between 1500 and 1800, Bolivia, Mexico, and Peru generated an estimated 85% of the world's silver.

The Georgian period in British history (1714-1837) saw a surge in silver jewellery, particularly among the increasing middle class, courtesy to jewellers' use of die striking and the import of diamonds from Europe.

By the nineteenth century, the discovery of silver reserves in North America had transferred the majority of silver production to that region of the world. During this period, silver also contributed to the advancement of photography.

Silver is now employed in jewellery, investing, photography, dentistry, medical, and technology. Mexico, Peru, and China dominate the world in silver output, in that order.

Buying and Maintaining Silver Jewellery

Silver jewellery is hallmarked in the same way as gold, platinum, and palladium are. Jewelry created in the United Kingdom must bear a sponsor's mark, a fineness mark, and an assay office mark. The sponsor's mark identifies the jeweller who created the piece, the fineness mark specifies the quantity of Silver in the piece, and the assay office's mark indicates the assaying office in the nation certified the item's legality.

Fineness marks for valuable Silver jewellery include:

999 — 99.9% Silver, often called fine Silver
958 — 95.84% Silver and 4.16% copper, used for Britannia Silver
925 — 92.5% Silver and 7.5% copper, nickel, or zinc, often called sterling Silver
800 — 80% Silver and 20% other metals, sometimes called continental Silver and often seen on German and Italian-made Silver jewellery

Britannia Silver also bears the traditional hallmark of a lion's head or a female figure facing left, whereas sterling silver bears the stamp STERLING, STER, STG, or Sterling Silver.

Silver jewellery sold without such hallmarks is most likely not genuine silver. The term "silver" refers to the fact that it is a type of jewellery that is made up of silver and is thus valuable.

Britannia Silver also bears the traditional hallmark of a lion's head or a female figure facing left, whereas sterling silver bears the stamp STERLING, STER, STG, or Sterling Silver.

Silver jewellery sold without such hallmarks is most likely not genuine silver. The term "silver" refers to the fact that it is a type of jewellery that is made up of silver and is thus valuable.

Silver-filled jewellery is defined as jewellery that has a thin coating of no less than 925 silver deposited by brazing, soldering, or welding. The silver coating must account for at least 5% of the total weight of the object. Silver-filled jewellery, like silver-plated jewellery, is less valued than genuine silver jewellery and degrades faster and more readily.

Silver Jewellery Maintenance

Because tarnishing is an inevitability for Silver jewellery, here’s what you can do to slow down the process:

Store Silver jewellery in airtight bags or air-restricted boxes. Exposure to humidity speeds up tarnishing.

Avoid contact and exposure to chemicals. This includes household cleaning items and personal beauty products like makeup or lotions. Wear the jewellery after you have applied makeup. Do not wear Silver jewellery while swimming or showering.

Clean after use. Body fluids can build up on the surface, so make sure to clean your Silver jewellery with a Silver cleaning product after wearing them. Rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth. This can also be done to remove the black coating as a result of tarnishing. Having a professional jeweller clean it is yet another simple option if it’s already tarnished.