Something More about Silver Grades

Silver necklaces are increasingly become popular among people in all around the world. There are huge array of designs, types and sizes available in the market. These silver necklaces are available in both classic and modern designs to cater to the different preferences of the buyers.
Over the years, silver has become one of the most flexible metals to make jewelry items. People widely use silver necklaces mainly because of the stunning look it has and the cost efficiency. You can purchase a wonderful silver necklace for a lesser price without spending more money on a gold necklace. The demand for silver has considerably increased during last few years.
There are different grades of silver available and it’s better to be aware about these different grades before purchasing silver jewelries. There are no jewelries that can be found which are made by pure silver. Pure silver is too malleable. Therefore we cannot expect the hardness of jewelry which is made by pure silver. Hence silver is combined with small percentages of other types of metals and then use to make silver jewelries. Here are some common silver grades you can find.
Britannica silver is one of such grades. It is made by 95.85% silver and 4.16% copper. This silver grade is also referred as ‘958 silver’. Sterling silver is the most popular silver grade and silver ring items have higher demands. It also called ‘925 silver’ and contain 92.5% silver and 7.5% metal alloy.
You should be more aware when buying inexpensive silver necklaces because they may look like sterling silver but are actually just silver-plated. Silver plated necklaces are only coated with a thin layer of pure silver on their outer covering. Because of the shine and elegant look they have, you may think that they are made by using sterling silver. But silver-plated jewelry items are cheap and tend to wear off easily.
Another type of silver you can find is German or Alpaca silver. These are not real silver and it is a grayish looking alloy that looks very similar to real silver.
Now you may understand the importance of knowing about different silver grades before purchase a silver necklace or any other silver jewelry. Therefore when you are going to purchase one, make sure to know the percentage of silver it contains. The knowledge you got through this article will help you to find a high quality silver necklace.