The Royal Society of Chemistry stated that silver mining dates back thousands of years. The first evidence of this mining was located in Turkey and Greece, circa 3000 B.C. Since that time, silver continues to be used to create beautiful functional and decorative items.
>h3>The Origins of Silver
As with gold, silver is also formed by exploding stars, or supernovae. When these stars, which are roughly ten times the size of Earth’s sun explode, the elements silver and gold are more produced.
The Difference Between Pure and Sterling Silver
Since pure silver is too soft to create jewelry, tableware, and other items, sterling silver is used. While other metals may also be used to produce sterling silver, copper is often used. Sterling silver is usually composed of a combination of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. When combined, the result is a stronger material.
How to Recognize Genuine Sterling Silver
It’s interesting to note that there are at least 14 languages that use the word “silver” to signify money. In fact, the words have the same meaning in these languages. Given this, it’s not surprising that items made out of sterling silver during the 19th and the 20th century usually had special markings.
In addition to marking these items with the word, “Sterling,” they may also have been marked with the number, “925.” Collectors, as well as individuals that appreciate antique silver, will look for these markings in order to determine whether the items are genuine. These are other tests that can be conducted to determine this as well.
Shopping for and Selling Sterling Silver Items
Are you looking for silver jewelry for sale? Whether you are adding to your own collection or searching for a special gift, there are quite a few beautiful items that may be of interest to you. You may, for example, be searching for a shop that sell antique jewelry as well. Other items that make wonderful traditional gifts include sterling silver baby cups, sterling silver tea sets, and sterling silver picture frames.
If you want to sell antique jewelry or other sterling silver items, there are also shops that handle this. Some of the stores that sell antique jewelry will also purchase these and other sterling silver items from their customers. Whether you’re planning to purchase a new item or sell some of your own pieces, remember to look for the sterling silver marks. Even though these marks may not be present, there are other ways to determine authenticity.