Sterling Silver
Also: 925 silver, Sterling Silver, 925/1000 silver
Sterling silver is a silver alloy with 92.5% fine silver (925/1000) – the standard for cutlery, jewellery and many collector's items.
Sterling silver is the most widely used silver alloy in the world for utility and jewellery goods. It consists of 92.5% fine silver and 7.5% other metals – usually copper. From this derives the common hallmark 925, which indicates the fineness in thousandths.
Why Not Pure Silver?
Fine silver (999) is very soft and barely dimensionally stable for cutlery, rings or jugs. The addition of copper makes sterling silver harder and more durable without losing its noble lustre. The price: copper promotes tarnishing – the dark silver-sulphide layer that forms in the air and can be polished away.
The Silver Value of Sterling Silver
Only the fine silver content counts for the material value. A 200-gram cutlery item of sterling silver therefore contains 200 g × 0.925 = 185 g of fine silver. This share is valued at the current silver price. For mixed lots – for example cutlery with 800 and 925 parts – the Melt Value Calculator takes over the conversion for you; for individual silver holdings the Silver Calculator is suitable.
Common Silver Finenesses
| Hallmark | Fine silver | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 999 | 99.9% | investment bars, coins |
| 925 | 92.5% | sterling silver: jewellery, cutlery |
| 835 | 83.5% | older cutlery (esp. Europe) |
| 800 | 80.0% | cutlery, utility silver |
Caution: Silver-Plated Is Not Silver
Many everyday objects are only silver-plated – they carry a wafer-thin silver layer on a base metal and hallmarks such as "90" or "100" (grams of silver plating per 24 pieces). Their precious metal value is minimal. Sterling silver, by contrast, is solid and bears the fineness hallmark 925.
A Note on VAT in Malta
Silver, including sterling silver articles, is not covered by the investment-gold VAT exemption. In Malta, silver carries 18% VAT (the standard rate), whereas investment gold is VAT-exempt under EU Directive 2006/112/EC. This is general information, not tax advice.
In Brief
Sterling silver (925) is the hardness compromise that makes silver suitable for everyday use. Only the fine silver content of 92.5% counts for valuation – multiplied by the weight and the current silver price, this gives the material value.