Alloys- Sterling Silver

What is sterling silver?

• Sterling silver consists of: 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper (sometimes zinc or nickel).
• The copper is added to make the silver much stronger than normal silver. It doesn't have much copper so that it can preserve the appearance of silver.

Sterling silver appearance

Alloys- Sterling Silver

• Sterling silver is substitutional.
• This means that the copper particles replace, or substitute, the silver particles in the metal.

Sterling silver particle drawing

Interesting properties

• Sterling silver has many of the same properties that pure silver has.
• Although the alloy is still primarily silver, it is much stronger than pure silver due to the added metal.
• Sterling silver tarnishes more easily than pure silver. This is because silver doesn't easily tarnish, but other metals, such as copper or zinc, tarnish at a faster rate.

Uses of sterling silver

• Jewelry
• Cutlery
• Plates
• Decor
• Teacups, pots, etc.
• Instruments