About Sterling Silver
Silver is a remarkable and exceptional metal. It is the most reflective
of all metals and makes fabulous jewellery and has been used for personal
adornment down through the ages.
Silver has the Atomic Number of 47 and Symbol of Ag. It has a melting
point of 961.93 c
Silver has many uses other than jewellery, such as electronics, aviation,
photographics, medicine, power generation, space travel, coins and many
others.
Silver has been used to make currency around the world from the earliest
times. Some countries still produce commemorative coins in silver, whereas
Mexico is the only country currently using silver in it's circulating
coinage.
Pure silver is usually considered too soft for jewellery purposes so
it is alloyed with small quantities of copper.
Sterling Silver is considered the standard for silver jewellery and has
been used since the 14th century.
What is Sterling Silver?
Sterling Silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver (Ag) and 7.5% copper
(Cu). The very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength
and hardness to be made into jewellery.
What does 925 mean?
925 is the international standard for sterling silver. All precious metals
use the same standard which indicates the amount of pure metal in the
alloy. For example 9ct gold is 375 which is 375 parts per thousand or
37.5% gold. Sterling silver is 925 parts per thousand or 92.5% silver.
This makes sterling silver a much purer metal than its gold rival. It
is the 62.5% copper in 9ct gold which makes it pink.
Why does Sterling Silver oxidise?
Reaction with the chemicals in the environment and air causes silver to
naturally oxidise. This is not a product defect. However, it is very easy
to keep your silver jewellery clean and bright if you know how and use
the correct care products.
Why is our jewellery such good value?
Just because our prices are so reasonable does not mean our jewellery
is of poor quality. We specialise in silver jewellery so our buying power
is very good and we pass these savings on to our customers.
What type of silver does Butterfly Silver sell?
All our silver products are made from solid Sterling Silver.
What is the difference between Sterling Silver and "Fashion
Jewellery"?
Sterling silver is the metal as described above and has an inherent value
because it is a solid precious metal. "Fashion Jewellery" or
"Costume Jewellery" is a base metal usually made of copper,
zinc, lead, pewter etc which are then electroplated with either silver
or rhodium to form a very thin coating to make the jewellery appear like
real jewellery. It is not silver underneath the plating. Always be sure
you are buying Sterling Silver as it will last years longer and is able
to be cleaned and polished.
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