What Kind Of Silver Is This?

I often hear people ask if the metal I use for my jewelry is true silver. If compared to platinum or gold, sterling silver is pretty inexpensive. So by comparison, silver is cheap. To see a comparison for today's silver and gold price, visit my website at EnergyRings.com/gold.html

The price that I come up with for sterling silver jewelry is generally based on three things. Time, materials and creativity. This ends up being a great price when compared to gold. Consequently, people often doubt that I am using real sterling silver. I think that this is because there are other "silver" metals that are not true Sterling silver and those metals are much cheaper.

Here is an explanation of the different types of silver commonly used in jewelry.

Sterling is the most common and the most respected form of silver for use in jewelry. Fine jewelry made in silver is traditionally made from sterling silver. Often called 925, because it is 92.5 percent pure silver and the rest (7.5%) is pure copper. Pure silver is not very hard or strong so the copper is added to give it the strength that is needed for jewelry.

Sterling silver is the most beautiful of all the silver alloys (a mixture of two or more metals). The luster and color is unsurpassed.

It is no wonder that sterling silver has gone unchanged in formula for centuries. The intrinsic value and prestige of this alloy has persisted in our minds as the absolute highest quality of all the silver alloys.

Fine Silver: This is a very pure form of Silver (99.9% pure). Fine Silver is sometimes used in jewelry to take advantage of it's soft and malleable characteristics. The most common use is a bezel. Bezel is usually the part in jewelry that holds the stones in place. Being softer than Sterling Silver, Fine Silver Bezel can be easily shaped and burnished to conform to the shape of the stone being set.

The term Silver can have several meanings, however, In most cases it is referring to sterling silver. The reason being that the most common form of silver used in fine jewelry is sterling silver.

There is a metal alloy called "German Silver". Contrary to common belief, there is no actual silver in it. This yellowish white alloy is composed of copper (65%), Zinc (23%), and the balance is Nickel. It is most commonly used for glasses (the frame) and other decorative and costume jewelry.

Nickel Silver: The composition of this particular nickel alloy is 65% Copper, 18% Nickel, and 17% Zinc. This is a very popular nickel alloy with a pleasant silvery blue white color. It is the most popular alloy used for costume jewelry and as a base for silver plated items.

Coin Silver is the alloy that was used by the United States to make silver coins. The silver content of Coin Silver is 90% silver and the rest can consist of various other metals. The United States is no longer using Coin Silver to make coins. It is most commonly found in some jewelry.

Did you know that the nickels in the USA are actually just 25% nickel? The remainder 75% is copper.

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To learn more about how silver jewelry can change your health, visit EnergyRings.com. This site includes copper, gold and silver jewelry designed to improve your health and beauty. Copper Bracelets and Copper Rings are quite unique.

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