Sterling silver has become one of the most popular jewelry in the last few years and is one of the brightest metals known today. Silver in its purest form is very soft and therefore not very functional for jewelry. To improve silver's functionality it is mixed with other metals, usually copper. 925 sterling silver comprises of 92.5% of silver and 7.5% copper along with it. Copper's composition in sterling silver makes the metal durable enough for sterling silver jewelry. Metals containing less than 92.5% silver are not sterling.
But, is there a difference between Sterling Silver and 925 Sterling Silver? The answer is no. Sterling silver and 925 silver are different names for the same silver alloy, however the standards of sterling silver may differ depending on the country it comes from. To identify it, the number 925 is often stamped in a hidden part of the jewelry. This number is known as the hallmark and denotes the percentage of silver purity in the alloy. If there is any other stamp on the metal, it is not sterling silver, however other kinds of hallmarks like STER, STG, SS and Sterling Silver can be stamped in place of 925.
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