What is 925 Sterling Silver?

There are numerous reasons to choose silver jewelry; it suits your style better, you feel it’s a better fit for your skintone, you like to combine metals or you just like to change things up a bit in your jewelry box and move away from gold. Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to say yes to silver (more often)! Because one thing is certain: stylewise you’re always on point when wearing silver. Silver earrings can make your outfit an edgy twist while making it more classic at the same time. And a layered silver dainty necklace just checks all the fashion boxes! All Eline Rosina jewelry pieces are made of 925 sterling silver, a durable, high-quality metal. Sterling silver is a widely appreciated metal in jewelry-making for its gorgeous gleam and classic appeal. It’s time to give gold a rest and let silver jewelry glam up your everyday looks! Read on for more ins & outs on this precious metal and why we love using it for our collections.

What is sterling silver

Used initially for currency and intricate jewelry, silver has historically been a signifier of wealth and status — expressions like “served on a silver platter” or “born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth” illustrate the metal's wealthy association. At first, craftsmen had some issues while using silver since pure silver is an incredibly soft metal, and therefore isn’t practical for often-worn jewelry. To be functional, silver’s malleability needed to be strengthened with another, stronger metal. This is where mixture with other metals come into play: sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% pure silver plus copper and other trace metals. An alloy is a mixture of two or more different types of metals. The metals are heated to a liquid state and then poured together, et voila! new material with properties from each metal is formed. This slight addition of another metal gave the pure silver strength and maximum durability without affecting its gorgeous, white-gray appearance. Sterling silver allows silver to be actually used, not just admired.

Why is it called sterling silver?

Ok, time for some more silver studies. Sterling, what does it stand for, and where does the term “sterling” come from? One theory is that this word comes from the name Easterlings - coiners from east German states brought to England during Henry II’s reign. According to another theory it stems from the Old English word steorling. In some of the coin's earliest designs, two small stars floated above the king's shoulders — in Old English, the word steorling translates as "like a little star," which is one possible origin of the word sterling. In a monetary sense, the term sterling was formerly used to describe the quality or standard weight of English coinage. Actually, the basic monetary unit of England is still called the pound sterling. The full name, 925 sterling silver stems from the alloy formula appearance which consists of 92.5% pure silver.

Difference between silver and gold

In jewelry making, the three most common precious metals are silver, gold and platinum. As a type of silver, sterling silver is considered a precious metal alloy, and it's often compared to other precious metals. And in that comparison, silver is not inferior to its fellow metals. Sterling silver is the least expensive of the precious metals, making it a more affordable option for those who love high-quality, beautiful jewelry without crazy price tags. Another plus, sterling silver is proven to be a much stronger metal than for example platinum which is considered a soft metal and scratches or damages easily. As for the optics, compared to platinum and white gold, the three metals have a similar shimmery, greyish appearance.

Cleaning sterling silver jewelry

Quality sterling silver jewelry will last a lifetime and only requires surface cleaning to maintain. Because sterling silver is vulnerable to tarnishing, it requires a bit more tlc than other precious metals. Tarnish is a natural reaction of the copper in the alloy with common elements in the air and water that surround us every day. Exposure to sulfur in air and water gradually darkens the surface of the metal, resulting in a loss of brightness and shine. Luckily, this tarnishing is easy to prevent and if your beautiful sterling silver piece begins to show signs of tarnishing, don't worry — sterling silver is easy to clean! Learn more about this in our care guide!

Shop silver earrings and necklaces online

Transform your look with our sterling silver jewelry. From statement earrings to effortlessly layered necklaces, Eline Rosina has it all! No inspiration on how to style silver today? No worries! Our earspiration page is updated weekly by our stylists, and on our Instagram you can find daily inspiration on how to style your silver necklaces and earrings. Almost every gold-plated piece you see there is available in sterling silver also, and vice versa of course!

Silver stories

Share the silver creations you’ve come up with, we love to see (and share) them! Share your looks with us via Instagram and tag or use #elinerosina in your stories or posts to be featured on our feed or stories!