925 Sterling Silver
925 sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver alloyed with 7.5% other metals for strength. It is a precious metal — not a coated base metal — which is why it can be polished, repaired and worn for decades.
- Purity
- 92.5% fine silver
- Hallmark
- BIS certified, stamped 925
- Lifespan
- Decades, with care
Why 92.5 and not 100
Pure silver is too soft to hold a setting or a clasp. Adding 7.5% of harder metals gives sterling silver the strength to hold a stone securely and keep its shape through daily wear.
The number 925 stamped inside a piece is a promise about what the metal is made of, all the way through — not just on the surface.
How to tell it apart from imitation
Imitation jewellery is usually brass or an alloy with a thin colour coating. Once that coating wears, a different metal appears underneath.
Sterling silver behaves differently. It may darken slowly over time, but the metal beneath is unchanged — a polish returns it to its original shine.