Silver

Silver

Type of Silver	What is it? What other metal(s) is it mixed with?	What is the proportion (stamp)?
Bali Silver	Sterling silver. Mixed with pewter for a grayer tone.	.925
Base Metal	Any non-precious metal such as white bronze, nickel, zinc, or steel can be considered base metal. Another name for it is pot metal.
Coin Silver	Silver alloyed (mixed) with copper.	.900
Fine Silver	Pure silver with no alloys. Very soft (can be bent and marked by hand). Brightens with wear, as it polishes against the skin.	1.000 or .999
German Silver	Can be scratched with a copper coin. No silver content. Alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. The zinc and nickel are silver colored.
Hill Tribe silver (Northern Thailand)	Sterling silver with a higher content.	.980
India(n) silver	Sterling silver alloyed (mixed) with lead and copper. Heavier in weight which gives a more solid feel. The copper makes it stronger and allows it to patina (turn dark) faster, giving details more "depth."	.900-.925
Israel silver	Sterling Silver	.925
Liquid silver	Sterling silver. Liquid silver describes heishi (or tube) beads strung together. They "flow" like liquid.	Too small to stamp
Mexican Silver	Silver alloyed (mixed) with copper. Sterling, depending on silver content.	.900-.980
Nickel silver	Does not contain any silver. A silver-white metallic element.
Pewter	Does not contain any silver. Various alloys (mixes) using tin as a base. Lead is generally no longer used.
Rhodium	Does not contain any silver. A silver-white metallic element that does not tarnish. It occurs naturally in platinum ores and is often alloyed with platinum. Hides solder seams and adds a clean, shiny, even surface.
Sterling silver	In USA, silver alloyed (mixed) with copper. The copper makes it stronger and allows it to patina (turn dark) faster, giving details more "depth." People allergic to sterling silver are most commonly reacting to the copper content. They will quite likely be fine with Fine Silver.	.925
Thai	Sterling silver with a higher than .925 content of silver.
Turkish silver	Sterling silver alloyed (mixed) with cadmium. Cadmium makes the silver lightweight and tarnish resistant. Superior workmanship especially granulation (decorative grains of silver). Lightweight allows larger designs.	.925-.940

There's so much "silver" around these days, it can be impossible to tell what's
what. Use our simple chart to work out what's in the metal before you hand
over your money.
Fine silver is both an element and a mineral. On the Mohs' scale of hardness, it
ranks as a 2 to 3. Silver deposits can be found all over the world in places such
as Australia, Canada, Chili, Mexico, Norway, and United States. Cultures that
love to show off their creativity in silver also include Burma, India, Middle East,
North America, and Tibet.

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