The Sparkle of Silver

What is Silver?
Silver is a metal that has been used as money for nearly 3000 years. This use alone is testament to its valued role in world civilization. Silver has historically been used in jewelry, coins, and tableware. Iin its various chemical forms it is used in photographic film, electrical components, medical and dental products, explosives and adhesives.

Chemically, silver is an element, represented with the symbol "Ag" on the Periodic Chart. An "element" is substance that does not decompose into other chemical elements. Pure silver is shiny when polished and its reflectivity is a significant part of its appeal. Silver reflects up to 95% of light!

Silver is also very soft and easily shaped. It can be rolled into sheets as thin as 1/100,000th of an inch and is so flexible that it can be formed into a wire finer than a human hair. This quality of softness is why silver is often combined with harder substances to produce stronger alloys. Sterling Silver is one such alloy.

Learn About Silver Purity

Sterling Silver
The term sterling silver is a technical term that describes the silver content of an alloy. Specifically, the phrase "sterling silver" originated in England, more than 800 years ago, to describe an alloy consisting of 92.5% silver. The remaining 7.5% of the alloy is typically copper, but nickel, zinc and other metals have been used. One often sees sterling marked not as a percentage, but as the number 925.

There is debate about the origins of the term “sterling”. One theory suggests that "sterling" is derived from an old French word, esterlin, which means little star. Others have argued that the term originally referred to the silver currency used in the German regions known as The Easterling, which had a 92.5% silver content.

Silver Standards
Sterling, at 92.5% silver, is just one of the silver standards in use today. Other common standards include:

  • Coin Silver - A U.S. standard describing an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper
  • Sterling Silver - An international standard and is an alloy that contains at least 92.5% silver
  • Mexican Silver - A Mexican standard and is an alloy of 95% silver and 5% other metal(s) - usually copper. Most contemporary silver jewelry from Mexico is made of Sterling Silver.
  • Hill Tribe Silver - A silver produced in Thailand that has a 97.5% to 99% silver content.
  • Britannia Silver - Britannia silver has no less than 958.4 parts per 1000 silver, and no more than 41.6 parts per 1000 of copper. Operationally, silver of this quality is marked in the U.K. and Ireland as "958 silver."
  • Fine Silver - Fine silver is 999 parts per 1000 of silver. This level of purity is found in bullion bars bought for the underlying value of the silver, but fine silver is too soft to be used in most applications.

Nickle Silver - An alloy of copper and nickle with a silver color and 0% actual silver content.


Silver Plating
Silver plated beads, findings, wire and chain are available as a less expensive alternative to sterling silver. These items are first made out of base metal; brass, cooper or an alloy and they are then coated with about 0.05 millimeter of silver through a process called electroplating. Electroplating can also be used to repair silver plated jewelry with surface damage, or to restore an item that has become worn with age.

The process of electroplating base metal begins by cleaing the items to insure a good surface for accepting the silver coating. The base metal items are then dipped into a solution that contains silver particles in positive ion form. The items are then connected to a negatively charged cathode and electricity is applied. A positive electrical terminal is then inserted into the solution. The silver ions are attracted to the metal items. Over time the silver particles are slowly and evenly deposited onto the item's surfaces. The thickness of the silver plating is determined by three factors:

  • the strength of the electrical current
  • the concentration of silver particles in the dipping solution
  • the length of time the piece has been submerged in the solution

While this process can lead to beautiful, inexpensive beads, findings and chain, over time the plating can wear off or become scratched. The inherent workability of silver-plated findings and wire is that of the base metal. A silver-plated head pin will never twist or wrap with the control and ease of a sterling silver head pin.

What is Tarnish?
One could not talk about silver without also talking about tarnish. Tarnish is an oxidization process that begins as a yellowish tint and progresses to a darkening on the surface of the silver. Tarnish results when silver is exposed to our modern polluted air. Other things in our environment can accelerate the tarnishing process as well. Two interesting ones include contact with rubber bands and the acidity in our skin. Sulfur and hydrogen sulfide gas are the worst offenders and are introduced into the environment by cars and other combustion sources. It has been said that tarnish was unheard of before the Industrial Revolution, which introduced the large scale burning of fossil fuels.

Sources:
http://www.sterling-silver.ws/articles/about-silver/what-is-silver.htm 
http://www.minerals.net/mineral/elements/silver/silver.htm