"Real" silver

People often ask "Is this real silver?", or "Is this 100 percent silver?" when contemplating the purchase of a piece of silver. Generally, they mean "Is it plated?" However, even when not plated, silver is rarely used in it's pure form as it is very soft.

Most of the silver we see on the market is sterling silver. The silver is mixed to copper to harden it and reduce the amount of metal necessary to make a durable piece of jewelry or tableware. 92.5 percent silver mixed with 7.5 percent copper makes sterling silver, or .925, as it is known in Mexico.

Some of the finer pieces can contain up to 99 percent silver, although these are rarely marked as such. More commonly pieces are made of fine silver, that is 95 percent silver and 5 percent copper. The .950 stamp differentiates fine silver from sterling.

Pieces with higher silver content must be heavier and thicker to compensate for the softness of the metal. However, pieces with higher silver content tarnish less easily, as copper causes much of the tarnishing of sterling silver.