German Silver: What It Is (And Why It Contains No Silver)

German Silver: What It Is (And Why It Contains No Silver)

German silver contains no silver as part of its alloy. Also called nickel silver, it is made from copper, nickel, and zinc, while sterling silver contains 92.5% actual silver. That makes the German silver vs silver distinction important if you are identifying jewelry, flatware, decorative objects, or antiques. German silver can look convincingly silver-colored, but it does not have … Read more

925 on Gold Jewelry: What It Means (It’s Not Pure Gold)

925 on Gold Jewelry: What It Means (It's Not Pure Gold)

The 925 gold meaning is usually that the jewelry has a sterling-silver base, not that it contains 92.5% gold. A 925stamp means the marked metal is represented as 925 parts silver per 1,000, or 92.5% silver.  If the jewelry looks yellow or rose gold, it may have a gold coating over sterling silver. The 925 stamp itself, however, does … Read more

What Does 925 Mean on a Ring?

How to Remove Tarnish from Silver

A 925 stamp on a ring means the piece is marked as 92.5% silver, the fineness associated with sterling silver. In other words, the alloy contains 925 parts silver per 1,000 parts total, with the remaining 7.5% made from other metals, commonly including copper. You will often find 925 inside the ring band, sometimes beside a maker’s mark, … Read more