What types of silver are there: concept, types, authenticity

Only jewelers know that pure silver is a precious metal that is not only beautiful, but also impractical. The highest standard of silver means not only quality, but softness, difficulty of processing and rapid loss of gloss. If you intensively use openwork jewelry made of pure silver, and even more so if you clean it with abrasive materials, then it will become smooth and lose its relief. This threatens the decoration with loss of expressiveness and artistic value. What are the hallmarks of silver, and what does this mean in terms of the use of the metal in jewelry and other activities?

As a result, master jewelers from all over the world began to use in their work not pure silver, but alloys with alloyed metal. But each master has his own percentage of ligature additions. Some consider it acceptable to add no more than 5%, while others “dilute” the source material by half with additives. Each alloy has its own characteristics, and the choice of jewelers depends on the purpose of the product.

Types of sample

What are the hallmarks of this precious metal? On the finished silver product there is a numerical value indicating the ratio of metal and alloy. Jewelry, dishes and decorative items are made from samples of the following basic values:

1. 720— a metal that is susceptible to oxidation and changes over time. Mainly used for making small parts of clothing: buttons, clasps and zippers.
2. 800 and 825 are metals suitable for the production of tableware and interior elements. A high percentage of silver content (80 - 83%) is suitable for the active use of objects made from such metal in everyday life. Periodically, an oxidizing film forms on products, which must be removed.
3. 875 and 916 are high-quality metals that are actively used for the production of gift sets, wine glasses, glasses, ashtrays and glasses. To add sophistication to silver items of this standard, jewelers often complement their finishing with gilding.
4. 925— a classic and proven combination of ligature additives and pure metal. Is this a good test or not? Products of this sample retain their beautiful appearance and are resistant to air and water.
5. 960— in appearance and physical properties it is equivalent to pure silver. However, such metal is short-lived, so it is almost never used for making dishes or jewelry.
6. 999— pure silver, highest standard. Most often stored in bullion, it is sometimes used to produce fine jewelry or decorative items.

Often silver (for example, 825) is added to 525 gold to increase the durability of the product and reduce its price.

Peculiarities

It is known for certain that 925 silver alloy contains at least 7.5% Cu metal and 92.5% Ag metal, i.e. copper and silver. Copper gives strength to silver, allowing it to smelt high quality products. Today, 925 standard means that you are looking at silver, the quality of which is the highest of all possible. The metal, the purity of which is s925, has the following features:

• this silver alloy is easily processed into jewelry;
• metal is ductile, thanks to which any elements of an increased level of complexity can be made from it;
• The silver alloy can be top coated with a thin layer of gold plating.

When making a 925 sterling alloy, copper is added to pure silver, but as a result, the appearance of the products loses its shine over time and can darken when in contact with water. To improve the properties of the jewelry alloy, zinc, platinum, and germanium or silicon are added. Such additives make it possible to improve the color range of finished products and their characteristics. In the world of jewelers, 925 silver material can be designated as follows:

• sterling or sterling silver;
• standard silver or silver standard.

In addition to 925 standard, there is also 999 standard, which has more excellent qualities and high value among jewelers. However, you are unlikely to find products made from such metal on the open market, because expensive masterpieces are made from 999 silver.

How to measure a sample?

There are two systems used to measure precious metal samples: metric and carat . In Russia, metric measurement of the quality of metals has been adopted since 1927. However, when buying jewelry abroad, you need to first familiarize yourself with the ratio of measurement scales for one and another method:

• 20 carats = 830 standard;
• 21 carats = 875th standard;
• 22 carats = 925th standard;
• 23 carats = 960th standard;
• 24 carats = 999th purity.

Marking

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the mark on silver items was made of two numbers, but after the revolution it already looks like a three-digit number.

• After the revolution, 875 standard was designated, in addition to numbers, by a letter and a sign of state testing supervision, which looked like a woman’s kokoshnik. During the Soviet era, products were marked with a sample number and a star imprint. Now such products are in high demand - they are bought by collectors.
• 925 standard marking was often accompanied by the inscription sterling silver, since this metal was called sterling silver after the name of the English silver coin of the same name, which could be used to purchase luxury items made of 925 standard silver. When marking high-quality 925 silver, you can also find such additions as ster, sterling. 925 silver, in addition to this inscription and a three-digit number, can also be marked with any image accepted in the country where the product was made.
• On gold-plated silver items, you can see the 5925 hallmark, which means that the item uses 925 silver and 5 microns of gold on top.

In jewelry stores, silver can be marked with hallmarks with officially recognized standards throughout the world - 999, 960, 925, 875, 830, 800. Other three-digit codes, for example, 923, 926, 929, 952 are not generally recognized.

Which sample is better?

The best samples are characterized by resistance to external influences and retain their unique shade. But jewelry and utensils made of silver, the share of which is 96 - 99%, have too high ductility and are unsuitable for daily use.

So what is better - which sample? It depends on the purpose of the product. When choosing interior items, dishes or jewelry, you need to pay attention to products of 875 and 925 samples. It is this metal that gives jewelers the opportunity to realize the most unusual ideas. However, if the alloy contains more copper, then its popularity decreases due to the yellowish tint of the products, but the strength will be increased.

Important! The optimal investment is considered to be items made of pure 999 silver, or simply silver bars.

The alloy of silver with cadmium is also highly valued, because such a metal acquires a noble white tint and increased mechanical resistance.

Where can you buy or sell

You can buy 875-grade silver in numerous jewelry stores and pawn shops. Their addresses can be found on the Internet. Read reviews before purchasing. You can sell them in the same organizations.

How much does 1 gram of silver of this standard cost today?

The price changes every day and is set by the Central Bank of Russia. You can find it on the bank's website. Moreover, the price of the 999th sample is indicated. It needs to be multiplied by 0.875, and the cost of a gram will be 875 marks. For convenience, I suggest using a “live” graph and table.

Varieties of silver

What to give preference to : light or dark metal?

Buyers are accustomed to seeing white silver on store shelves and do not think that there are several varieties of the precious metal. Silver differs in color and composition:

1. Blackened - the production of such metal is preceded by a complex technological process. Blackened objects are popular among connoisseurs of exclusivity and lovers of amulets (such metal is believed to have mystical properties).
2. Sterling is 925 silver with a beautiful shine and exquisite white color. This type of metal received its name thanks to the English coins that were minted from it.
3. Matte - the popularity of silver jewelry is growing, but buyers want something new and unusual. That's why jewelers invented matte silver - by treating the surface of the product with special corrosive substances or a sandblasting machine. Jewelry is first made and then processed at the final stage, giving the pieces a unique look.
4. Filigree - filigree manufacturing technology involves soldering many thin silver wires together. The high cost of filigree products is due to the high demands on the skill of the jeweler and the complexity of their manufacture.

Filigree silver jewelry

Most items and jewelry presented on Russian shelves are made of sterling silver.

Jeweler's comment

Molokanov N.M.

Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.

To determine the standard of gold, I would advise you to immediately go to a jewelry master, since this requires experience and knowledge. At home, people see the color that has changed during application, but do not know that it is also affected by the internal component of the alloy. In this case, even a small fraction of the component plays a role. If you mistakenly determine the composition of the metal, nothing bad will happen. But the person who was going to sell it may be disappointed when it turns out that what was disguised as silver was not a precious alloy, but a fake.

Technical metal and imitation

Technical silver is distinguished by its lack of fineness and precious metal content of less than 80%. This metal has its advantages - it is durable and lightweight, has good electrical conductivity and conducts light well. Therefore, technical silver has found its application in electronics and apparatus parts , as well as in industrial production.

have long been known , which formed the basis for the manufacture of silver ionizers for water and the popularity of silver tableware and jewelry. Due to the high cost of the metal, there is always a risk of it being counterfeited by fraudsters. Imitation of silver also occurs in the decoration of monuments and the manufacture of decorative items. Precious metal substitutes are also used in production equipment. Usually, instead of silver, they use:

1. Nickel silver - this metal for the production of cutlery is necessarily coated with a small layer of pure silver. But when this layer wears off, a metallic taste will be felt when using nickel silver cookware.
2. Cupronickel — the alloy that received this name combines 84 sterling silver, copper, manganese and nickel. Utensils are made from it however, it cannot be called useful.

   
   Cupronickel spoons

3. Silver leaf - imitates white gold leaf. Intended for finishing furniture, walls and decorative items.

The minimum value of jewelry standard accepted in Russia is 800. Everything else must be designated as costume jewelry.

Application of this alloy

Jewelry for undemanding customers is made from the material described. 875 is stronger than 925, so it is harder to process. Rings, chains, bracelets, rings - this is the assortment of the 875th sample. Gemstone inlays are not uncommon for this material as it can hold them.

Also, the 875th sample is used to make tableware and candlesticks. No matter what year it is, silver tableware always remains a prestigious feature. Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many houses and restaurants were furnished with silver sets.

But with the increasing costs of their production, as well as the need for constant cleaning, they were supplanted by their more practical counterparts. Cigarette cases, ashtrays, cup holders, and shot glasses are now common.

Rules for choosing silver products

Please note that when buying dishes or jewelry at local markets in foreign countries, you can get cupronickel or technical silver instead of the promised silver. It is almost impossible to distinguish them externally, but even short-term use will reveal all the shortcomings of counterfeit silver.

It is safest to buy jewelry and tableware in trusted jewelry stores or directly from the manufacturer through an online store .

Important! The best standard for high-quality and truly valuable jewelry is considered to be 875 or 925. Silver with this level of ligature has a beautiful white tint and high strength. It is for products made from such silver that quality certificates are issued, and such jewelry items are sold in good specialized stores.

Not sure which sample to choose? Choose based on the purpose of the product. For example, household silver with 87.5% pure metal in its composition is suitable for tableware, and for jewelry it is better to pay attention to silver with 925 purity.

Principles of branding

The mark can be located inside or outside the product. The very first and most popular method is mechanical. Every jewelry maker should have this art. At first, an ordinary hammer was used for this, and then a special mechanism was made that carried out the process automatically. There were also special anvils, without which it was almost impossible to accurately apply a jewelry stamp. The machines had already been introduced when mass branding was required.

The electric spark method is carried out with the participation of electrodes

The electric spark method is carried out with the participation of electrodes. For this purpose, a special installation was made, with the help of which the print is burned out with a spark. If the brand has jumpers at the top between the outline and the badge, it means that this item was branded using the electric spark method. This method is more effective, but not all jewelry workshops and factories use it, because such an installation costs a lot of money.

For very expensive jewelry, a special laser can be used, which applies the mark very carefully. This method is not as relevant in mass production because the laser mark disappears over time. If a person has purchased such a product, then he needs to treat it more carefully, because after a while the mark will simply disappear and it will no longer be possible to confirm that the jewelry belongs to the precious right.

IMPORTANT! It is not so difficult to fake a sample, but the master will immediately understand that it is not real. In Soviet times, it was precisely because of the work of scammers that the prints changed several times. Most often, counterfeit items were found in silver dishes.

Is it possible to determine the quality of silver yourself?

How to choose and buy the highest quality silver so as not to be deceived?

You can definitely find out the quality of the product by contacting a jeweler who will carry out an assessment. If the product is of poor quality, you can return it to the store within 14 days after purchase. You can also use express tests that are quite suitable for doing at home:

1. Testing with a magnet - a high-quality silver product will not be attracted to a magnet, however, some alloy metals do not react to magnetic influence.
2. Silver heats up well in the hand and cools quickly in a cold environment, for example, in the cold.
3. Pure metal will darken from sulfur ointment or iodine. To test the quality of the alloy, it is enough to leave a tiny spot on the product and check whether a trace remains. But if the silver is real, then it will not be easy to wipe it off.
4. You can check the authenticity of jewelry or dishes using chalk — real silver will darken upon contact with the rock.

   
   925 sterling silver ring

What tests are used on silver? Where to look for a stamp on jewelry?

According to the current Russian law, all precious products containing more than 80% silver in their specific weight are required to undergo examination by the Assay Commission and receive a company mark indicating a three-digit digital combination. It is placed in different ways, but in most cases in such a way as not to spoil the aesthetics of the product:

• Rings (regardless of style) - on the inside;
• Earrings (classic model) - on the earrings of an English castle;
• Studs - right on the stud itself or the reverse of the base;
• A chain around the neck or a chain bracelet - along the link closest to the clasp or on an additional flat element equal or slightly smaller in width.
• Designer and miniature jewelry of non-standard shapes are also required to be marked - they are stamped without any special conditions.

The most common silver standard in our country is 925, that is, containing 92.5% of the precious metal. In addition to the digital designation, the stamp bears the logo of the Assay Commission - a silhouette of a woman’s head in a kokoshnik, turned to the right. Both images should be clearly visible on the surface, without abrasions or uneven lines - if you see poor-quality engraving, you may have a fake or a factory defect.

Large brands, in addition to the hallmark, put the assay code (one capital letter) and the brand name of the product - usually of a similar size next to it. It contains encoded information, for example, the product article in the factory catalog, production date, etc. Jewelry with a precious stone may also contain additional symbols adopted by a specific factory. All other data is printed on the tag.

Products produced in the USSR are practically no different from modern ones in terms of mandatory labeling. The only difference was the logo, which was a traditional five-pointed star with a hammer and sickle located inside.