Sterling silver is the most renowned silver alloy and has been used for centuries. It is the standard silver alloy in most parts of the world. Sterling silver is composed of 92.5% pure silver combined with 7.5% copper to create a durable, more portable metal. To answer the question, what is sterling silver? We just have to look at its purity - it is 99.9%, or fine silver.
It is ideal for investment and trading purposes, and is considered the investment grade silver. Many refer to it as the rule of the three-nine fine. Of the three main types of investment - coins, rounds and silver ingots - generally have lower premiums per troy ounce than the spot price of silver. Not only will they sell their silver bars at fair prices, but they will also pay well for the silver bars you want to sell.
The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is known for its gold and silver ingot coins, which are of high quality. Argentinian silver (93.5% purity) alloyed with germanium for greater resistance to tarnishing and a whiter finish, similar to that of fine silver, is also available. Call a precious metals expert today to discuss which silver ingots are the best option to meet your investment objectives. Most people tend to think that nickel silver is an alloy of silver, but in fact it contains 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc.
Like gold-plated jewelry, silver plating simply means that a very thin layer of silver has been coated onto a base metal. The silver filling is 5% or 10% sterling silver by weight cast with heat and pressure in a brass core. The color of silver is also highly prized, so sometimes you'll find alloys that look like silver but are made of other metals. In general, jewelry that is simply described as 'silver' tends to be an inexpensive silver coating that wears off after a while. In the past, this was the most commonly used silver alloy in the United States, but over time, sterling silver took over.
Each large mint has its own silver coin that is minted in a specific quantity, while silver ingots are standard and production has no premium. This variety of silver came on the market in the last 10 years, when silver prices skyrocketed during the economic recession. Mason Mint is a contemporary ingot company that manufactures a wide range of silver products, including silver ingots. This type of 'silver' is an inexpensive base metal that looks similar to sterling silver, but, once again, it contains no real silver at all.
