WHAT IS STERLING SILVER AND WHAT DOES THE NUMBER 925 INDICATE?
Sterling silver is an alloy created when copper is added to pure silver which has an actual silver content of 99,9%. The term sterling silver goes back to the British pound sterling and is now the most commonly used alloy. It consists of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper, which gives the metal a slightly reddish shimmering hue. Nowadays, sterling silver is used for silver jewelry, coins, cutlery, trophies, flutes and light metal lacquers for e.g. wheel rims.
The advantage of 925 silver compared to pure silver is the higher resistance. Sterling silver is not only harder but also more robust. Molten silver dissolves about 20 times its volume of oxygen causing the pure silver to tear open when it solidifies. Due to the copper content the cracking of the surface is reduced significantly. With these high-quality features, pure 925 sterling silver is the perfect material to create elegant and enduring jewelry such as cufflinks.
