Since Sterling silver contains 92.5% mass of silver, and 7.5% of one or more other metals, it is considered a precious metal. Copper is the most common metal added to silver to create the sterling alloy. The standard minimum millennial (parts per thousandth) fineness of Sterling silver is 925 or 925 parts of every thousand is pure silver. Alloys such as copper are added because pure silver is too soft for most uses. That being said, the first legal definition of sterling silver jewelry dates back to 1275 during the reign of Edward I of England. The statute stated that a 12-ounce coin would contain 11 ounces and 2.25 pennyweights (a little more than a tenth of an ounce) and 17.75 pennyweights of some alloy. Markings such as "925", ".925" or "S925" are official stamps used to determine that metal is Sterling silver and without these stamps (except handmade items) can sometimes indicate that the jewelry purity is not solid Sterling ...
Cleaning Jewelry By: Blue Crockatt Republished by Crystal Kehoss for American Classics Jewelry Cleaning Sterling Silver Jewelry Don't leave your beloved jewelry sitting in a drawer just because it's too dirty or because you forgot to take it off before going in the hot tub or pool. Sterling silver may turn all black or gold color when it's in contact with the chemicals presents in the water contained in such facilities. Products like bleach & nail polish remover will also have a terrible effect on your sterling silver jewelry. But it's not over for those pieces since you can clean that off pretty easily. Many cleaning techniques & products are available on the market today so don't rush to your nearest jewelry store. They will clean your jewelry efficiently & it may be the right solution if you don't mind paying or really don't want to deal with it. Many cleaning solutions are sold in regular stores, you just put the jewelry in the l...