In the case of nickel silver, the term “silver” describes the color of the metal, not the content. Nickel silver is a base metal alloy consisting of mostly copper combined with nickel and/or zinc. It is an inexpensive base metal that is similar in appearance to sterling silver. Nickel silver is used in costume […]
Category Archives: Jewelry News
Silver plated is a base metal product with a very thin silver plating applied to the surface. Even when jewelry is described as fine silver-plated, the overall silver content is a small fraction of a percent. Silver-plated jewelry makes affordable costume jewelry. Plating can tarnish and will eventually wear off to expose the base […]
Silver-filled is a new layered metal, introduced during the surge of silver prices during the recession. It is not an alloy because the metal content is not the same throughout the material. Silver filled is either 5% or 10% sterling silver by weight, fused with heat and pressure to a brass core. Since silver-filled […]
Coin silver was once a common alloy in the United States. It is now relatively rare and the name causes some confusion. The technical “coin silver” alloy is .900 silver, or 90% silver and 10% copper. It was not used to make coins, but at one point in time it was made from refined […]
Non-tarnish alloys are relatively new to the market. Argentium is one brand of these alloys, but there are others available that are similar. These alloys contain a minimum of 92.5% silver, with some slightly higher in silver content. The remainder consists of copper and the addition of the element germanium. The germanium makes the […]
Sterling silver is the jewelry quality standard in the United States and most world markets, making it the most common of the types of silver used in jewelry. Sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver. The remaining 7.5% is usually copper, although other metals such as nickel are sometimes used as well. The […]
Fine silver is the closest metal to the pure silver element. It is described as .999, indicating 99.9% purity. The remaining 0.1% consists of trace elements of insignificant quantity. Fine silver appears more dull compared to the bright polish of sterling. Fine silver is soft and will scratch, dent and change shape relatively easily. […]
Most finished silver jewelry will have a quality stamp somewhere on the piece. This stamp is the quickest way to identify quality. These tiny markings may only be legible under magnification, and pieces are only required to bear a stamp when there is sufficient surface area available. For that reason, many smaller pieces are […]
There are many types of silver available in the jewelry market today. It is important to be familiar with the types of silver used in jewelry in order to educate your customers about silver quality standards. Below are some definitions and comparisons of the many silver metals used to make jewelry around the world. […]
Pure silver must generally be polished and cleaned on a regular basis to keep it from becoming tarnished. It should not be placed in areas where it will be exposed to large amounts of oxygen and should be taken care of in special silver storage containers. Oxidized sterling silver jewelry will not be affected […]