Types of Silver - Learn the

Grades of Silver Alloys &

Purity in Jewelry
by Hilary Halstead Scott

Learn about different types of silver alloys

used in jewelry. What makes Argentium
different from standard sterling silver? What
is in Tibetan silver? Expand your knowledge
so you can be an expert on all things silver!
There are many types of silver available on the market today. It is important to
be familiar with the competing metals in the marketplace in order to educate
your customers about silver quality standards and alternatives in the industry.
Don't assume you are buying sterling silver jewelry supplies when something
is called "silver." Below you will find definitions and comparisons of the
different silver metals used to make jewelry around the world.

Silver Alloys
First, customers need to understand that silver used in jewelry is usually an
alloy which means a metal mixture of two or more elements from the periodic
table. Silver is an element. Other metallic elements are alloyed with silver for
various reasons that are described below.

Quality Marks
Second, a lot of finished silver jewelry will have a quality stamp somewhere on
the piece. This is the quickest way to identify quality. There are cases of
fraudulent marking but they are fairly rare. These tiny markings may only be
legible under magnification. However, jewelry items or components are only
required to bear a stamp when there is a surface area available. For that
reason, small findings and components are often unstamped even though
they are quality alloys. Quality stamp standards are described in the sections
below.

Metal stamp used to create a

jewelry quality mark

Silver Grades
1. Fine .999 Silver
Fine silver is the closest metal to the pure element silver. It is marked .999
which indicates 99.9% purity. The 0.1% remainder consists of trace elements
of insignificant quantity. Fine silver has a more vitreous luster than the bright
polish of sterling. It appears grayer and slightly dull. This type of silver is quite
soft and will scratch, dent and change shape fairly easily. For that reason, it is
less common in jewelry because items will not wear well over time.
However, there are benefits to fine silver. It is easy to form, it fuses without
solder and it is highly resistant to tarnish. Fine silver is best for earrings or
necklaces instead of rings or bracelets that are bumped and scratched more
frequently because it is such a soft metal. Silver clay products reduce to fine
silver and have increased the demand for pure silver jewelry in the US market.
Hill Tribe silver is often .999 as well. The most common quality stamp on this
metal is .999 FS or just .999.

2. Sterling .925 Silver

Sterling is the jewelry quality standard in the United States and most world
markets. It is an alloy of 92.5% silver. The remaining 7.5% is usually copper
though it is sometimes other metals such as nickel. The other metals in the
alloy increase hardness so the material will be more durable. Alloy additions
also create the color and luster that is so prized by consumers. Sterling silver
is the silver color we are most familiar with and the most common type of
silver in US jewelry stores. It is very bright and shiny but it will tarnish. Tarnish
is easy to clean with readily available polishing products. Sterling silver is
harder than fine silver but it is still soft compared to other metals. Fine sterling
silver chain and thin metals can be stretched or "drawn" under tension. And
jewelry will be scratched or dented if it is banged around. Sterling can be
soldered, formed and annealed repeatedly. The most common quality stamps
are .925 and Stg. Halstead is a market leader in sterling silver jewelry supplies.
 Example of a quality stamp on
the end findings
of a finished chain necklace.

3. Argentium Silver and Non-Tarnish Alloys

Non-tarnish alloys are fairly new to the market. Argentium is one brand but
there are others available that are similar. These alloys are a minimum of
92.5% silver though some will be slightly higher in silver content. The
remainder consists of copper and the addition of the element germanium. The
germanium makes the alloy harder and resistant to tarnish. Non-tarnish alloys
can still tarnish under extreme conditions and after extended periods of time.
But, they will generally require less maintenance than sterling. This tarnish
resistance is the chief benefit of the metal though it is also notable that
Argentium will fuse without solder. The trade-off is price. Argentium is
significantly more expensive than sterling and less readily available. It is
difficult to distinguish from sterling once on the market because the quality
stamp is still .925. Manufacturers can go through an application process to
receive authorization to use the Argentium(r) mark as well but this stamp is
large and impractical for many jewelry pieces.

4. Coin Silver
Coin silver was once a more common alloy in the United States. It is now fairly
rare and the name causes quite a bit of confusion. The technical "coin silver"
alloy is .900 silver, or 90% silver and 10% copper. The name "coin silver" is
because metalsmiths historically made items from melted down scrap coin
metal. At the time the name was given, coins were made from more precious
metal than today. Monetary coins in our country, and most others, no longer
contain silver and are instead made from more inexpensive, durable base
metals. Some collectible coins or coin investment instruments have higher
silver content. They are marked as such with a quality stamp and usually
come with certificates of authenticity. Coin silver jewelry that is still on the
market will bear a quality stamp of .900. Many of these pieces are antiques.

5. Silver
Jewelry sold as just "silver" is a bit of a mystery. The term is thrown around in
the market as a color descriptor, especially in fashion. However, in the jewelry
trade, items should be clearly identified as a specific standard quality. If not, it
is unlikely that the silver alloy is of very high quality. Jewelry artists and
manufacturers are legally required to either stamp pieces when space permits
or tag finished products with quality designations.

Silver casting grain

6. Silver-filled
Silver-filled is a new layered metal that was introduced during the recent surge
of silver prices during the recession. It is not an alloy because the metal
content is not the same throughout the material. Instead, the sterling silver is
all on the surface. Silver filled is either 5% or 10% sterling silver by weight
fused with heat and pressure to a brass core. This metal is fairly new so it is
not standardized in the US. Since silver-filled is a layered metal it cannot be
cast. The silver layer is much thicker than silver plate but this is still a much
lower quality product than solid sterling silver jewelry supplies and alloys. It
will tarnish and it should only be soldered with precision equipment and
special training. Now that the price of silver has come down from past highs
the metal is less common in the market. There is no legally approved quality
stamp standard for silver-filled at this time. However, some use the stamp .
925 SF, which can be misleading.

7. Silver Plated
This is a base metal type of silver with an extremely thin plating layer of silver
applied to the surface. Even when jewelry is described as fine silver-plated,
the overall silver content is a tiny fraction of a percent. Silver-plated jewelry is
affordable costume jewelry. Plating can tarnish and will eventually wear off to
expose the base metal underneath. Costume jewelry will not have a quality
stamp but it may bear the manufacturers logo or hallmark.

8. Nickel Silver
Nickel silver is a bit of a misnomer because "silver" describes the color of the
metal and not the content. This is a base metal alloy consisting of primarily
copper with nickel and/or zinc. This type of silver is an inexpensive base metal
that is similar in appearance to sterling but, again, it contains no real silver at
all. It is quite soft and makes an excellent practice metal. Nickel silver can be
soldered but it is sometimes difficult to make solder seams that are not
obvious. Nickel silver has many other names on the market such as Alpaca
silver or German silver. It is used in costume jewelry but should be clearly
described as a nickel alloy since many people are allergic to nickel. We also
recommend selling nickel silver as a "base metal" because the term "nickel
silver" can be misleading for consumers.

9. Tibetan or Tribal Silver

Tibetan silver and many other types of silver described as "tribal" silver etc are
base metal alloys that are only silver in appearance. Contents of the alloys
vary tremendously and many contain no silver content whatsoever. Some of
these imports from exotic lands contain dangerous metals such as lead. Buyer
beware. This jewelry should be purchased with caution and never ever given
to children. Tribal pieces can be quite beautiful so purchase for the value of
the design rather than the value of the metal.
10. Bali, Thai or Mexican Silver
There is a great deal of quality silver coming out of Bali, Thailand, and Mexico;
however, that silver should also be marked and identified with a quality stamp
and/or quality disclosure. There are also much lower grade silver alloys from
these nations that are described with just the nation of origin. The name of the
source country is no guarantee of quality or silver content on its own.

How do you test for silver quality?

There are two commonly used tests to determine the silver content in an alloy.
X-ray testing is non-destructive but requires special, expensive equipment.
Jewelry must be sent to a lab for x-ray testing. This test is fairly accurate on
most silver items. However, it can be fooled by layered metals and some
types of plating, so accuracy is less reliable. The best means of testing are
wet chemical analysis or assay, which require a small amount of material to
be permanently removed from the jewelry. These tests are extremely accurate
when conducted in a reputable lab. We have a complete article dedicated to
explaining jewelry lab tasting and the vigorous quality controls for sterling
silver jewelry supplies at Halstead. Read about Halstead Lab Testing for Quality
Control: A Jewelry Quality Assurance Program.
Neither of these lab tests is a viable option for consumers looking for a quick
test at home. Instead, consumers are advised to buy silver from reputable
sources that are honestly disclosing details on their materials. Quality stamps
are also an excellent indicator when available.