A Simple Guide to Silver Purity — What 925, 999, and Sterling Actually Mean

A Simple Guide to Silver Purity

If you've ever flipped over a piece of silver jewellery and spotted a tiny stamp reading "925" or "999," you might have wondered what it actually means. It's one of the most useful things to understand before buying — here's the short version.

Pure Silver vs. Sterling Silver

Pure silver (also called fine silver) is 99.9% silver, stamped as 999. It's beautifully soft and lustrous, but that softness is a problem for everyday jewellery — pure silver bends, scratches, and loses its shape far too easily to wear regularly.

Sterling silver, stamped 925, is 92.5% silver alloyed with 7.5% other metals (usually copper). That small addition makes a big difference in durability, while barely affecting the shine or color. This is the standard for almost all fine silver jewellery worldwide — rings, bracelets, necklaces, the works.

Why the Alloy Matters

Purity	Stamp	Best for	Trade-off
99.9%	999	Bars, coins, fine art pieces	Too soft for daily wear
92.5%	925	Everyday jewellery	Small copper content
80% or below	—	Not considered "silver" jewellery	Prone to tarnish, low value

At InSilver, every piece we make uses genuine 925 sterling silver — never plated, never diluted below standard. You'll find the purity listed clearly on each product page.

How to Check What You're Buying

1. Look for the stamp. Genuine sterling silver is hallmarked "925" somewhere on the piece — usually on a clasp, the inside of a ring band, or a small tag.
2. Be wary of "silver-plated" or "silver-tone." These terms mean a base metal (often brass or copper) with a thin silver coating — it will wear off with use, exposing the metal underneath.
3. Check the price. Genuine sterling silver tracks with the market price of silver plus craftsmanship — if a piece seems unusually cheap for its size and weight, it's worth asking what it's actually made of.

Does Purity Affect Tarnishing?

Yes, slightly. Higher-purity silver (999) actually tarnishes less than sterling (925), because it's the copper alloy that reacts most readily with sulfur in the air. But the trade-off is worth it — sterling's durability is why it's the standard for jewellery you'll actually wear, not just display.

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Want to know the purity of a specific piece? It's always listed on the product page — or feel free to reach out and ask us directly.