Women's Sterling Silver Jewelry

What 925 Actually Means

Sterling silver is 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent other metals, usually copper. That is what the 925 stamp records. Pure silver is too soft for jewelry; the added metal gives it enough strength to hold a setting and survive daily wear.

The copper is also why sterling tarnishes. The dark film that develops is silver sulfide, formed when the surface reacts with sulfur compounds in the air, and it is a surface change rather than damage. A silver polishing cloth removes it quickly. Pieces stored in a closed pouch tarnish far more slowly than pieces left out.

About half the sterling silver here is rhodium plated, which puts a bright, hard, tarnish-resistant layer over the silver, and several pieces are yellow gold plated for the look of gold at a lower price. Plated pieces should not be cleaned with abrasive silver polish, which can cut through the plating; soap and warm water is the safe method. A few pieces combine sterling silver with 18K yellow gold accents, and the listing names both metals. Rhodium plating also gives the silver a slightly whiter, brighter color than bare sterling.

The collection is mostly chains and necklaces, in cable, snake, herringbone, box, rope and Franco styles, alongside earrings, bracelets and cuff bangles. It also includes a small group of lab-grown diamond solitaire rings set in sterling silver, each stating an IGI grade of G color and VS1 clarity, which puts a graded diamond within reach at a lower metal cost than gold. Some pieces are set with cubic zirconia, which the listing identifies as such.

Store sterling in a closed pouch or lined box, ideally with an anti-tarnish strip, and keep it away from bleach and chlorine, which can pit silver. Put silver on after perfume and lotion rather than before. Our jewelry care guide explains cleaning and storage for every material we sell.

Further reading: Jewelry Care Guide, 10K vs 14K vs 18K Gold.