If you’re considering buying sterling silver jewelry, you will no doubt want to know the difference between pure silver and 925 Sterlingsilber. Also, pure silver is not really made up of only silver. It has 99.9% of silver, and a small content composed of other metals such as copper.
Sterlingsilber, auf der anderen Seite, consists of 92.5% Silber, and the remaining part consists of copper – mostly copper. This is the reason why Sterling Silver is popularly referred to as 925 Sterling Silver or just 925 Silber.
The reason silver needs to be combined with other metals is that it is very difficult to make great designs with just pure silver, which is very soft and malleable. A bit of hardness has to be introduced, by adding other metals such as copper. That’s why jewelers are capable of making the most intricate and complex designs with 925 Sterlingsilber.