What is 925 Silver?
Surely you have ever wondered what that three-figure number behind the word SILVER means. Well, we are going to solve your doubts so you don't be fooled! Here we go!
Pure silver or fine silver is not usually used in the creation of jewelry because it is too soft material and can be easily scratched or deformed.
For this reason, silver is mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and resistance.
The silver used in jewelry is 925 or sterling silver. It is an alloy that has 92.5% pure silver and the remaining 7.5% another metal, usually copper. Although this is the most widely used, you can find it mixed with 1 or more metals such as palladium, zinc, tin,... depending on the characteristics that the manufacturer wants for his piece: maintain the shine of the piece, prevent oxidation, vary the tone, even cheapen the product.
How to know if a jewel is 925 Silver?
Any silver jewelry has to go through an Official Precious Metals Contrast Laboratory. This will certify that the silver law is 925, that is, that the percentage of silver in the piece is 92.5%.
To find out, you can make sure by looking for a 925 mark or contrast on your silver jewel. This mark dates back to the Middle Ages and is the method used to identify and control the purity of silver. To be sold, each item had to pass quality controls and only qualified goldsmiths had the personalized punch with which they marked the pieces they manufactured.
In any case, sometimes, due to the characteristics or the size of the piece, it is impossible to contrast it with the 925 mark, since it could damage or break the jewel. In these cases, the Association of Jewelers issues labels that identify the material as 925 silver and also the manufacturer and that replace the direct mark on the metal. 
At Argent Basic, each piece of jewelery we sell bears its corresponding hallmark or label that certifies the quality of the Silver we use, as well as the guarantee they offer.
Now that we know that not all silver is 925, that not all 925 silver is the same and how we can recognize it, we recommend that the best way to buy good quality silver is to purchase jewelry from a trusted jeweler.
Some manufacturers also choose to give the 925 silver a Rhodium plating, which gives the jewel much more resistance to oxidation and wear and a more intense shine. We can even vary its color with a black Rhodium plating, resulting spectacular pieces like this one:
But the Rhodium... that's another story!! Very soon in our blog we will talk about it and the different platings and finishes we can find.
