The lustre of silver has long been prized, with silver used since ancient times to make beautiful creations, including jewellery. But how much do you really know about the silver used to make your jewellery (Odeda Jewellery for example uses fine silver, sterling silver and is licensed to use Argentium silver) – and why is the type of silver used in your jewellery important? Find out more below:
Fine Silver is the best silver used in jewellery, right?
Fine silver is the closest to silver in its purest form. Measured in 1000 parts, fine silver consists of 999 parts silver. It can be polished to a super shiny finish and can be formed into delicate, beautiful jewellery pieces. However, it can scratch or even change shape if worn in high impact areas. Because of this it is not recommended for use in jewellery, except in earrings or pendants.
Why is Sterling silver the most popular silver alloy in jewellery? And what exactly is an alloy?
An alloy is the term used to describe the result of a combination of two or more metallic elements. Usually metals are combined in this way to create strength or durability. Sterling silver is the most popular silver alloy in jewellery because of its durability. It consists of 925 parts silver to 75 parts copper and adding the copper hardens the silver making it more durable and hard wearing. Sterling silver is still lustrous and reflective but on the downside it can tarnish more easily because of the copper content in the alloy (although it is generally easy to clean this tarnish off – see our jewellery care tips for further information).
Is Argentium the same as sterling silver?
No, Argentium is different to sterling silver. It is a proprietary brand of silver and is usually more expensive than other alloys. It is purer than sterling silver (at 940 or 960 parts silver per 1000) and the alloy contains Germanium and a lower presence of copper. It was designed to have increased resistance to tarnish, a whiter colour, and antibacterial and hypoallergenic properties. Only jewellers, like Odeda Jewellery, who have been authorised to use Argentium can use the Argentium stamp which features a flying unicorn.
What’s Britannia silver?
Britannia silver is rarer today in jewellery making although it is sometimes used for making coins, flatware and other objects. Britannia silver contains more silver than sterling silver – as it is an alloy that contains at least 958.4 parts pure silver with the remainder made up of copper. It was first introduced in England in the early 18 century and was quickly popular for its beauty and durability but in recent years it has generally been replaced with sterling silver which is more durable and hard wearing.
Is silver plated jewellery the same as silver jewellery?
Silver-plated jewellery is different to a silver alloy. It usually consists of a very thin layer of silver which has been coated over a base metal. The amount of silver used in plating is often small and over time the silver plating is likely to wear off, exposing the metal beneath. It isn’t hypoallergenic and can have a short life.
I’ve seen an absolute bargain made with nickel silver. I should buy it, right?
Be careful! You may be surprised to learn that despite its name, ‘nickel silver’, (also called ‘German silver’ or ‘alpaca silver’) is a mix of metals which does not contain any silver. It is usually around 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc and unlike silver it is not hypoallergenic.
I hope this is a useful introduction to the different types of silver used in jewellery making. You might also be interested in finding out about the silver metal clay that I use in my MANDALA and SEEDPOD collections in my blog post here. Please visit the Odeda Jewellery shop to see the silver jewellery that I currently have available If you have any questions or would like further information please do get in touch. You can email me at hello@odedajewellery.com or find me on instagram here.
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