The 925 on sterling silver jewelry could be read as 92.5 which means that the jewelry piece has 92.5% pure silver and the other 7.5% is made of other alloys such as copper, zinc, and other metals. For every 1000 there is 925 of that in pure silver and the other 75 is made of different metals.
Sterling silver is a silver alloy, when fine silver (pure silver) is combined with another metal to create a more durable metal. This means that sterling silver is not fully silver, but instead it is a compound of two metals. Jewelry cannot be made from 100% silver as it is too soft to be used by itself, ductile and would tarnish easily when it reacts with the gases in the air. This reaction causes it to fade and become discolored. The softness is pure silver means that it is not durable, it can bend and get damaged easily. By mixing silver with other alloys such as copper, it makes it harder, more durable, and much less susceptible to tarnishing.
Sterling silver and fine silver look the exact same, but fine silver is much higher in cost due to its purity and less durable. Sterling silver on the other hand is durable and is more malleable than pure silver, meaning there are more options for sterling silver in comparison to fine silver as it is easier to shape and hold in place.
When something is marketed as silver-plated it means that the jewelry is made from another metal and then dipped in a thin layer of sterling silver. It is plated on top of the other metal, making it more susceptible to chipping and revealing the base metal underneath, which ends up changing color and tarnishing much faster than sterling silver or pure silver. Silver plated jewelry is not a good option for those with sensitive skin as the base metal is allergenic which may cause an allergic reaction because of the presence of nickel.
When buying cheap silver jewelry, it is a risk taken that might be silver plated which will reveal a different colored metal underneath. Causing the jewelry to tarnish fast and cause an allergic reaction. We at PurlyNude guarantee that our jewelry will never do that as we DO NOT deal with any kind of plated jewelry. Plated jewelry is not worth your money.
Sterling silver jewelry is constructed of pure silver mixed with a small amount of another alloy. Meanwhile, silver plated jewelry is majorly made from a base metal of nickel, brass, copper, or other metals and then plated with an alloy of real silver. Those who have sensitive skin will get an allergic reaction from silver plated jewelry, which should be avoided and not bought.
Sterling silver jewelry is better than silver plated, it lasts longer, is hypoallergenic and looks better.
Yes, silver does tarnish and that does not mean that the jewelry is cheap or fake. Silver, even fine silver tarnishes, it happens when silver encounters skin, sweat or even beauty products. Silver is hypoallergenic and will not cause a reaction, even when it tarnishes. One could easily clean silver jewelry by using a silver cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Read more about cleaning Jewelry in our blog here.
