Sterling silver 925
Sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5 per cent silver by weight and 7.5 per cent other metals, usually copper. The standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925, which is why the number 925, or in Japan SV925, is stamped on so much of the jewellery and silverware that reaches the collection.
Definition
Fine silver, 99.9 per cent pure, is relatively soft, so silver is usually alloyed with copper for hardness and strength. Sterling is the most familiar result. It is prone to tarnish, and other elements, such as germanium, zinc, platinum, silicon and boron, are sometimes added to reduce tarnish, casting porosity and firescale; argentium is one such modern alloy.
Tarnish is a surface change. Silver sulphide forms slowly as a black film on exposure to sulphur compounds in the air, and ozone forms silver oxide; the lower the silver content, the more the copper in the alloy reacts. Heavy tarnish or corrosion is a job for professional polishing.
Silver has long carried marks. A piece of sterling dating from the reign of Henry II served as a standard in the Trial of the Pyx until it was deposited at the Royal Mint in 1843, and between 1634 and 1776 some 500 silversmiths worked in colonial America, mostly in sterling, from simple buckles to Rococo coffee pots.
Origin
The term sterling silver originally meant silver fit for making sterlings, another name for the English silver penny; the origin of the word sterling itself is disputed. The first legal definition came in 1275, when a statute of Edward I set the silver content of coinage at a fineness of about 926. In colonial America, without an assay office until 1814, silversmiths followed the standard of the London Goldsmiths' Company, 91.5 to 92.5 per cent silver.
In our reading, the number on modern silver is a promise of content, not of maker. A 925 mark tells you the alloy; the maker's mark, the design and the finish tell you who made it.
Key facts
| Composition | 92.5 per cent silver, 7.5 per cent other metals, usually copper |
|---|---|
| Fineness | 925 minimum |
| Fine silver | 99.9 per cent, softer |
| First legal definition | 1275, Edward I |
| Tarnish | Silver sulphide and silver oxide |
| Common marks | 925, Sterling, SV925 |
How to identify it
- Read the mark. Look for 925, Sterling or SV925, and for any maker's mark beside it. Our guide to Japanese and Western metal marks explains the variants.
- Look at wear points. In our handling, clasps, ring shanks and chain links wear first; thin spots at those points tell you more about a piece's past than its surface shine.
- Weigh it. In our handling, weight in grams is part of every silver description, because it confirms solidity and helps compare pieces.
- Read the tarnish. Even dark tarnish in recesses is often deliberate oxidation; uneven tarnish is age.
- Maker over metal. For houses such as Chrome Hearts and Tiffany, the maker's mark and construction matter more than the 925 alone; see our Tiffany hallmarks guide.
Where it appears in the collection
Sterling sits on the silver jewellery shelf and the Chrome Hearts shelf. Examples include a Tiffany Elsa Peretti Open Heart necklace, a Tiffany and Supreme puffy star bracelet and a Vivienne Westwood Albane ring in SV925. For the house most associated with heavy silver, see our Chrome Hearts silver guide.
Related entries
- Orb: the Vivienne Westwood emblem often cast in silver.
- Certificate of authenticity: paperwork that sometimes travels with silver.
- Condition ranks: how the house grades wear.
Sources
- Sterling silver, encyclopaedia entry, composition, etymology, history and tarnish. wikipedia.org
Last reviewed 15 November 2026. The Japonista Curation and Concierge Team, Tokyo, Japan.