Silver is the most affordable of the precious metals and the brightest white metal used in jewelry. Most silver jewelry is sterling silver, an alloy of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent other metal, usually copper. Silver tarnishes over time when it meets sulfur compounds in the air, but the tarnish is a thin surface layer that cleans off.
Silver as a metal
Silver is soft, ductile and very reflective. Polished silver reflects more visible light than any other metal, which gives it a bright, cool white shine. It also conducts heat and electricity better than any other element. It melts at about 962 °C and has a density of about 10.5 g/cm³, around half that of gold, so silver jewelry feels light for its size.
Silver is usually counted among the noble metals because it does not rust or oxidize in clean air. It does react with sulfur, and that reaction causes tarnish.
Silver standards
Pure silver is too soft for most jewelry. Silversmiths add copper to harden it, and the share of silver sets the standard.
| Standard | Silver content | Fineness mark | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine silver | 99.9 percent | 999 | Soft; used for bezels, wire, bullion, some jewelry |
| Britannia silver | 95.84 percent | 958 | UK standard since 1697 |
| Sterling silver | 92.5 percent | 925 | The global jewelry standard |
| Coin silver | 90 percent | 900 | Older American silverware and coins |
| 800 silver | 80 percent | 800 | Common in older European pieces |
Sterling silver
The sterling standard of 925 parts per thousand has been used in England since the medieval period. Sterling is hard enough for rings, chains and flatware, and soft enough to work by hand. In the United States, the FTC jewelry guides allow the words "sterling" or "sterling silver" only on items that are at least 92.5 percent silver.
Britannia silver
In 1697, England raised the required standard for wrought silver to 95.84 percent to stop silversmiths from melting coins, which were sterling. This higher Britannia standard was compulsory until 1720 and remains an optional UK hallmark. Britannia silver is a little softer and whiter than sterling.
Fine silver
Fine silver is 99.9 percent pure. It tarnishes more slowly than sterling, because it has no copper, but it is soft and dents easily. Jewelers use it for bezel settings that need to fold over a stone, for granulation and fusing, and for metal clay jewelry, which is fired into almost pure silver.
Why silver tarnishes
Tarnish on silver is mainly silver sulfide, a thin dark film that forms when silver reacts with hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur compounds in the air. Those compounds come from sources such as rubber bands, wool, some foods (eggs, onions), air pollution and certain papers and cardboard. Humidity speeds the reaction.
Tarnish starts as a faint yellow, then turns brown, then blue-black. The copper in sterling also oxidizes, which contributes to darkening and to firescale, a purple-gray stain that can appear when sterling is heated during soldering. Fine silver tarnishes more slowly because it has no copper to oxidize.
Tarnish is a surface layer only. It does not weaken the metal. Silversmiths sometimes create it on purpose with liver of sulfur, a sulfur solution, to darken recesses and bring out designs. This oxidized finish is covered on the jewelry finishing page.
Argentium and tarnish-resistant alloys
Argentium is a silver alloy developed in England in the 1990s by Peter Johns at Middlesex University. It replaces part of the copper in sterling with germanium. Germanium forms a thin, transparent oxide layer on the surface that slows tarnish and reduces firescale. Argentium is sold at 935 and 960 standards, so it meets or exceeds the sterling requirement.
Argentium is easier to keep bright, can be fused without solder and can be hardened by heat treatment after forming. It needs a slightly different working approach than standard sterling. Other tarnish-resistant alloys add small amounts of zinc, silicon or other metals. Many manufacturers also plate sterling with rhodium to keep it bright, which stops tarnish until the plating wears through.
Silver in jewelry history
Silver has been worked for thousands of years, with early silver objects found in Anatolia and Mesopotamia. In the Americas, silver became central to the jewelry of Navajo and Zuni artisans from the nineteenth century, often set with turquoise; see traditional and tribal jewelry. Tuareg and Berber silver jewelry of North Africa is another long tradition. Silver was also the metal of everyday European jewelry for centuries, used for brooches, buckles, posy rings and lockets.
Care and cleaning
The best way to limit tarnish is to wear silver often, because skin contact and gentle friction keep the surface clean. When storing it, keep it dry and out of the air:
- Store pieces in zip bags or anti-tarnish cloth bags.
- Add anti-tarnish strips or silica gel to jewelry boxes.
- Keep silver away from rubber, wool and felt, which give off sulfur.
- Remove silver before swimming in chlorinated water or using household cleaners.
To clean light tarnish, use a silver polishing cloth. For heavier tarnish, use a non-abrasive silver cleaner. Rinse well and dry. Avoid harsh polishes on oxidized pieces, because they remove the dark finish the maker put there on purpose. Pieces with pearls, opals, turquoise or other porous stones should not be dipped in chemical cleaners. The jewelry cleaning guide explains safe methods for gems set in silver.
Silver marks
Sterling silver jewelry usually carries a 925 or "sterling" stamp. UK pieces above set weights carry full hallmarks from an assay office. Older American pieces may say "coin" or "900." Marks such as "silver plated," "EPNS" (electroplated nickel silver) or "German silver" do not mean solid silver. Nickel silver contains no silver at all. The hallmarks guide covers how to read silver marks.
Frequently asked questions
What does 925 mean on silver jewelry?
It means the piece is sterling silver, made of 925 parts per thousand silver. The rest is usually copper.
Why does my silver jewelry turn black?
Silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air to form silver sulfide, a dark tarnish. It cleans off with a polishing cloth or silver cleaner.
Is fine silver better than sterling?
Fine silver is purer and tarnishes more slowly, but it is softer and dents easily. Sterling is the better choice for most jewelry that sees daily wear.
Is German silver real silver?
No. German silver, also called nickel silver, is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. It contains no silver.