| There are many different names for silver | | | | tends to wear off quite quickly exposing the less |
| jewellery on the market today. So, what are all | | | | than beautiful base metal. |
| these types of silver and what do they mean? | | | | Alpaca Silver or German Silver is not actually |
| This article will educate you so you understand | | | | silver at all. It is a greyish looking alloy which |
| what the different terminologies are when you | | | | resembles silver. It is sometimes referred to as |
| are buying silver jewellery or silver articles. | | | | nickel silver, paktong, and new silver. It is also |
| What is silver? | | | | used as a base for silver plated items because of |
| Silver is a metal which has been used for | | | | its appearance. If you want real silver, stay away |
| hundreds of years. Silver is mined from many | | | | from this. Also, beware of sellers selling this as |
| countries but the biggest producers are Mexico, | | | | "fine jewellery" to consumers that don't know the |
| Peru and Australia. It in its pure form, is normally | | | | difference between sterling silver and alpaca silver. |
| considered too soft for everyday use. Therefore, | | | | Mexican Silver is silver is used to describe silver |
| other metals are added to the pure silver such as | | | | made in Mexico. It must have more than 90% |
| cooper. | | | | pure silver content to be Mexican silver. Most |
| The different types of "Silver" | | | | silver jewellery from Mexico today is actually |
| Sterling silver is the main type of silver used in | | | | sterling silver. |
| jewellery, ornaments & dinnerware today. | | | | Britannia Silver has a pure silver content of |
| This is solid silver. Sterling silver is a mixture of | | | | 95.85% and no more than 4.16% copper. This |
| 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% metal alloy. It is | | | | silver is marked in the U.K. and Ireland as "958 |
| hallmarked as "925". | | | | silver." It is an even more pure form of silver |
| Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver and is normally | | | | than sterling silver. Hence it's higher valuer. |
| considered too soft to use for most items. It is | | | | Antiquing of Sterling Silver Jewellery |
| also solid silver. | | | | Antiquing is very common in the silver industry |
| Silver plating is common and sometimes dishonest | | | | today and is the practice of applying a finishing |
| sellers try to pass this off as sterling silver. It's | | | | process to sterling silver to give the item an |
| also call electroplated silver or silver coated as | | | | appearance of age. As well as giving the item an |
| well. Silver plated items are made using a base | | | | appearance of age, it also helps to produce a |
| metal, normally brass or nickel, which is then put | | | | contrast which makes the details of intricate |
| through an electroplating process. Electroplating is | | | | designs stand out better. |
| a process which adheres a very very thin layer | | | | Other guides |
| of pure silver onto the base metal. | | | | There are many other guides at our online |
| The result is looking item at a much reduced price. | | | | jewellery store Australia. |
| It may look like sterling silver but the silver plating | | | | |