Silver is the beloved and preferred by many white metal, whose history spans centuries. Once silver was valued even higher than gold due to high-quality alloys. However, over time, they learned to add impurities and some metals to it, which led to the loss of their original value. Silver began to be labeled with different samples.
What it is?
The term "sterling silver" means that some impurities are added to the noble metal. Sterling is used to create exquisite coinage, all kinds of jewelry, elegant cutlery, watch cases, coins and everything that silver marked with 999 breakdown is not good for. The product obtains strength by combining silver with other metals (ligatures). At the same time, the plasticity of the alloy is preserved, and a noble shade appears. Marking 925 involves 7.5% of additives per 100 grams of the mass of silver itself.
Most often, the metal is alloyed with copper, which allows you to create an alloy with high quality characteristics, but not without flaw. The tendency of copper to oxidize upon contact with oxygen over time leads to the appearance of a dark coating on the product. But with other ligature inclusions, sterling silver remains invariably light and glossy.
If you add platinum, zinc, titanium, cadmium or germanium to silver, the alloy will not be prone to darkening, but it will differ in significantly increased cost. Auxiliary elements are palladium, aluminum, silicon and boron. Cadmium-doped sterling silver is considered the most expensive.
The considered material is obtained by melting pure silver at t 893 ° C. Copper added under such conditions not only combines with the main component, but also dissolves in it without residue, forming the so-called solid solution. Mixing the components alone is not enough; after the melting procedure, the material is first calcined to eliminate the heterogeneity of the metal and increase its strength.
To obtain the necessary ductility of the alloy, it is necessary to harden it, and then subject it to aging, bringing t to 300 ° C. After this stage, sterling silver becomes 2.5 times stronger. The completion of the product processing process is plaque cleansing and bleaching.
History
Directly by the name of the described alloy, it is easy to assume that it somehow relates to the British currency - the pound sterling. In fact marking alloy 925 has its own story.
In England of the XII century, one of the means of calculation was a sterling silver coin. The monetary unit turned out to be at a great price, because it could be used to pay for expensive household items, jewelry and all kinds of values. The weight of 240 silver coins was equal to one pound. If the same amount of sterling weighed less than a pound, the coins were considered fake. There is another version of the appearance of such silver, according to which, in the 11th century, special coins were minted in Northern Germany for settlements with the British. This version in 1955 was shared by the historian U. Pitchebek.
Gradually, sterling became widespread in other countries.
The properties
The main advantages of sterling silver is considered to be attractive appearance and ductility with high strength alloy. It is little susceptible to oxidation, and products from it are obtained strong enough for daily use. Sterling silver marks bactericidal properties. The metal does not irritate the skin, after contact with it there are no traces left on it. Silver is resistant to external influences and is not subject to corrosion.
It is convenient to work with sterling silver, such products do not deteriorate with daily wear from sweat, fat and do not change when exposed to the sun.
Try
On high-quality silver products of the 925th test there is special marking with information on the percentage of pure metal in them. A sample of this marking indicates that for every kilogram of alloy there is 92.5% of white metal. According to international standards, there should be a trademark of the plant near the sample. Sometimes there is the stigma "sterling" or its abridged version of "ster".
925 silver is used to create jewelry: earrings, rings, chains. It is not inferior in price to many precious alloys. For noble radiance, sterling silver is classified as high-grade precious metals. At the same time, it serves for a long time and slowly oxidizes.
This material shows good fusibility and easily takes the desired shape. The jewelry created from this metal has a high level of hardness and resistance to environmental influences.
How is it different from usual?
Sterling silver is a ubiquitous material. Usually jewelry is made from it - this is an excellent alloy for the process of blackening and decoration with decorative enamel. Its color cannot be distinguished from an alloy of a higher fineness; it looks surprisingly harmonious as a frame of precious stones and pearls. Exquisite cutlery and crockery are made from sterling alloy.
How to understand the difference between sterling silver and pure metal? Silver is a silver-white solid, but ductile metal. Over time, sulfide deposits appear on the tarnished metal under the influence of hydrogen sulfide in the air. Silver tarnishing is his first flaw, clearly visible on jewelry. The less copper is present in the alloy, the greater the stability of the compound.
Pure silver is not used by jewelers in the work. Do not use it for the manufacture of dishes.To improve the quality characteristics, copper or aluminum is included in its composition. To protect the jewelry from damage and darkening, they are coated with rhodium. The layer of this coating gives the silver product a snow-white hue. Only in this way processed silver is not everyone likes. Many people prefer jewelry with natural color.
Where is it used?
Sterling silver is ideal for creating bracelets, pendants, crosses, earrings, etc. Such jewelry looks elegant and elegant, especially in the company of precious stones. Excellent alloy silverware and decorative items are also cast from the alloy. A huge number of jewelry and ornaments from the described alloy is produced in Southeast Asia, in particular in China.
In quality, the precious alloy imported from China can compete with exported silver supplied by other countries.
But the properties of metal are not limited to the jewelry industry. It is used in the technical field, medicine, etc. Specialists in saxophone production note the amazing sound of sterling silver. Many flagship musical instrument manufacturers, such as Selmer and Yanagisawa, use this alloy. It is generally believed that thanks to him, instruments gain the ability to sound better. In Europe, sterling silver produces decorative elements and utensils - tea sets, cutlery, etc.
How much is?
Silver-based alloy is becoming more and more popular, and therefore its cost is increasing. Prices for jewelry depend on the territorial location of the manufacturer, as well as on the complexity and uniqueness of the work.
Prices for rings start at 450 rubles, the simplest earrings can be purchased for 580, a bracelet from 280, and a chain - at least 600 rubles. The price of a sterling silver product also depends on labor costs. For example, in China it is lower than in other countries. The influence of this factor significantly affects the evaluation of jewelry and other products.
The increase in the value of sterling silver is also influenced by the decrease in precious metal reserves throughout the planet. For this period, the price per gram of silver averages $ 0.62. The low cost of Chinese products from this metal should cause concern for the buyer.
When making a purchase of jewelry in an online jewelry store, it is important to definitely read product reviews from those who have already made orders. In this regard, it is more convenient to make purchases through social networks, having carefully studied the information of customers who have already managed to evaluate products with their own eyes. It should be understood that the price of silver should not be too low. Products made from it do not change properties for a long time. A light blackening is quite simple to clean at home.
How to clean?
Over time, jewelry made of silver 925-th test slightly darken. With pure silver this does not happen, because a metal without impurities is chemically inactive and interacts with oxygen only at high temperature. The alloy of the 925th sample contains insignificant impurities of copper, therefore, over time, a natural patina, silver sulfide, will appear on it.
For storing sterling silver gadgets, darkened areas are most suitable. It will be ideal to store products in a bag of opaque fabric, such as leather or suede, and it is better to allocate a separate place for them in the jewelry box.
The appearance of a slight darkening on silver products is a natural process caused by the aging of the metal. To prevent further destruction, the silver objects of the 925th test are applied artificial patina.
Pure silver alloy products need proper care, otherwise they will lose their original appeal. If the item is often used, it is exposed to moisture and sunlight.
If the product is mainly in the box, then periodically it must be removed and cleaned.
Jewelry experts provide the following recommendations for the care of sterling silver jewelry.
- You need to clean the darkened areas with tooth powder, diluted with ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. It is advisable to use a soft cloth that will not scratch the metal.
- Do not mechanically clean the plaque, as the coating may be accidentally damaged.
- Store sterling silver preferably in a dark place.
An effective way to return natural radiance to sterling things is boiling in soda solution. For the cleaning procedure, 1 tbsp is added to one glass of water. l baking soda. Food foil is laid out at the bottom of the water tank. The product is left in boiling water for 15 minutes.
To preserve the beauty of silver jewelry, it is better to use professional cleaning in the salon. It is impossible to perform such a procedure at home. Special means are needed, from which things will return to their original appearance, and the coating will remain intact.
See how to clean silver from black coating in the next video.
