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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Lon Chaney, post: 1225693, member: 29844&quot;]From Wikipedia:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sterling silver</b> is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy" rel="nofollow">alloy</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver" rel="nofollow">silver</a> containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper" rel="nofollow">copper</a>. The sterling silver <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_standards" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_standards" rel="nofollow">standard</a> has a minimum <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millesimal_fineness" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millesimal_fineness" rel="nofollow">millesimal fineness</a> of 925.</p><p>Fine silver (99.9% pure) is generally too soft for producing functional objects; therefore, the silver is usually alloyed with copper to give it strength but preserving the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ductility" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ductility" rel="nofollow">ductility</a> and beauty of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precious_metal" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precious_metal" rel="nofollow">precious metal</a>. Other metals can replace the copper, usually with the intent to improve various properties of the basic sterling alloy such as reducing casting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porosity" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porosity" rel="nofollow">porosity</a>, eliminating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firescale" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firescale" rel="nofollow">firescale</a>, and increasing resistance to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarnish" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarnish" rel="nofollow">tarnish</a>. These replacement metals include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanium" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanium" rel="nofollow">germanium</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc" rel="nofollow">zinc</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platinum" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platinum" rel="nofollow">platinum</a>, as well as a variety of other additives, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon" rel="nofollow">silicon</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron" rel="nofollow">boron</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p>I mean, obviously the .925 part is standard, but it could contain different metals that refiners wouldn&#039;t know about.&nbsp; </p><p>Also, sterling sells at a discount to .999 and .900 usually.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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