| Silver has been used for thousands of years as | | | | to extract the silver. The first mining of lead ores |
| jewellery, tableware, ornaments, and even | | | | dates back to 6000 BC and the earliest silver |
| currency. In the periodic table, silver has the | | | | jewellery dates back to 3000 BC. The origins of |
| symbol Ag for argentums, which originates from | | | | the mainstream creation of sterling silver comes |
| the Indo-European "arg" for 'white' or 'shining'. The | | | | from the early 1300s, when King Edward I |
| jewellery is a mixture of silver and another metal, | | | | ordered that all silver objects must meet the |
| so that the material has qualities of both metals. | | | | sterling standard of 92.5% pure silver, or sterling |
| The practice of producing this alloy is thought to | | | | 925 (925 parts of silver per thousand). This is |
| have started in Germany around the 13th | | | | known as the sterling standard, and pieces that |
| century. Recently, the most common metal to be | | | | were then certified under this new rule would be |
| combined with silver is copper. | | | | stamped, or hallmarked to show their fineness. |
| The jewellery is generally 92.5% silver and 7.5% | | | | As well as being used to make jewellery, sterling |
| another metal, normally copper. This has | | | | silver is also incredibly versatile. Sterling silver has |
| advantages and disadvantages. The problem with | | | | been and still is used for tablewear, including |
| pure silver is that it is quite soft and malleable - | | | | cutlery, pots and during the height of silver's |
| but it is incredibly useful in other fields including | | | | popularity in the early 20th century, shoehorns. |
| medicine due to its antibacterial properties. The | | | | Musicians have also used the material to produce |
| alloy of sterling silver means that it is stronger | | | | instruments including saxophones and flutes have |
| and more manageable, but the combination of | | | | been made using sterling silver, giving them a |
| metals means that sterling silver can be tarnished, | | | | unique timbre. |
| unlike pure silver. Fortunately the tarnishing on | | | | Sterling silver is now mainly used for jewellery. |
| sterling silver, which a lot of jewellery is made of, | | | | Peru is currently the world's largest silver |
| is easily cleaned. | | | | producer, closely followed by Mexico, although |
| The word "sterling" is thought to have originated | | | | silver is not confined to one continent, as it is also |
| from Norman coins which had stars printed on | | | | mined from as far afield as Russia and Australia. |
| them in the 14th century. The "ster" part of the | | | | Silver is still a relatively cheap precious metal, |
| word comes from the description of the star on | | | | based on current prices, silver is sold at around |
| the coin, with the added suffix on "ling". The | | | | $18 per oz (May 2010), whereas gold sells at |
| phrase "sterling silver" is most likely to come from | | | | around $1140 per oz (May 2010). |
| the description of the new material, as it would | | | | Sterling silver remains one of the most beautiful |
| shine "like a star". | | | | and versatile materials for jewellery, a timeless |
| Silver, unlike gold, is rarely found in metallic form. | | | | and elegant metal that is also widely available |
| It is found as mineral ores that miners and | | | | mean that after thousands of years, silver will |
| refiners have to pass through various processes | | | | never go out of fashion. |