What are the markings for sterling silver?
Sterling silver (925): This is the standard for silver, identifying a silver item that is at least 92.5% silver mixed with copper to give it strength. Marks on these pieces include 925 or Sterling. Any mark indicating a higher silver content, such as 950, would also qualify as sterling.
What numbers are sterling silver stamped?
Authentication Hallmarks International sellers of silver will stamp silver as 925, 900 or 800.” These numbers indicate the level of purity of the silver. Sterling silver has a purity of 92.5 percent or higher.
What is the difference between sterling silver and hallmarked silver?
When 92.5% of pure silver is mixed with 7.5% of other metals (often copper, nickel or zinc) the resulting alloy is called sterling silver. This number is known as the hallmark and denotes the percentage of silver purity in the alloy.
What does EPG mean on silver?
E P G S. a generic mark for Electro Plated German Silver used alone or together or inside maker’s mark.
Is all sterling silver marked?
The vast majority of items made from sterling silver contain a quality mark, a stamp placed in a discreet spot that denotes its purity. These marks will say “. 925” or “925” or “S925” or sometimes “Sterling.” Along with the quality mark, a hallmark (the maker’s registered mark) must also be placed on the piece.
Does sterling silver turn green?
925 Sterling silver CAN turn your finger green (or black). It is definitely LESS common than with costume jewelry but still very possible. There is no way to know until you wear it and it can change over time. A piece that never did can one day start to.
Can I wear sterling silver in the shower?
Though showering with sterling silver jewelry on should not harm the metal, there is a good chance that it could induce tarnishing. Waters that contain chlorine, salts, or harsh chemicals will affect the look of your sterling silver. We encourage our customers to remove your sterling silver before showering.
Is S925 real sterling silver?
Is S925 Sterling Silver Real? Sterling silver labeled with s925 is absolutely real silver jewelry. Your sterling silver ring, necklace, or bracelet will last a lifetime if well taken care of.
Can you pawn sterling silver?
Pawnshops, just like every other jewelry store, will price sterling silver items based on the prevailing open market value of the precious metal, even before they look at the weight and the fineness of the piece.
Is silver plated better than sterling silver?
Because silver plated items are actually made of a different material, like copper or brass, silver plated items are more durable than sterling silver. With proper care, silver plated objects can last for up to twenty years.
What does a lion hallmark mean on silver?
A stamp indicating the purity of the silver is called the assayer’s mark. The mark for silver meeting the sterling standard of purity is the Lion Passant, but there have been other variations over the years, most notably the mark indicating Britannia purity. The purity mark for Irish silver is the harp crowned.
What does EPB stand for on silver?
E.P.B. usually stands for Electro-Plate on Britannia, which is a hard pewter alloy.
Can sterling silver not be marked?
Sterling silver must be at least 92.5% silver. US law does not require precious metal to be marked with a quality stamp. Some European countries do require marking. Many tourists in the US (and international online shoppers) will question goods sold without markings that indicate precious-metal quality.
Can you shower with sterling silver?
What does EPC stand for silver?
EPC stands for electroplated copper. Sheffield EPC refers to Old Sheffield Plate, a form of plate silver popular in the mid-1700s up to the 1840s.
What does a 925 sterling silver stamp mean?
These stamps stand for sterling silver. This means the piece of jewelry should be 92.5% pure silver mixed with another metal, usually copper. Silver on its own is very soft and needs another metal added to make solid jewelry. A common question that I get is “ I have a gold ring stamped 925, what does that mean?”
What kind of Mark do you put on sterling silver?
If a piece was made in a foreign country for import into England, it would include a maker’s mark, control mark and standard mark. But if a piece was made in England for sale at home it would require a fourth mark, a British assay mark. These changes may sound confusing at first, but are of great benefit.
What makes a sterling silver ring sterling silver?
Legally, to be considered sterling silver a piece has to consist of 92.5% pure silver, with only 7.5% other elements mixed in. GP – pieces with this stamp have been plated with gold, but have another metal underneath. It almost always has the karat fineness of the plating listed, i.e. 18K GP.
What does 14K mean on a sterling silver stamp?
This is simply the symbol for 92.5 sterling silver (925) and the maker’s mark (nc). The 14k KC means simply 14k gold (14k) and the makers mark (KC). There have been thousands of maker’s marks, so if you need to know who the maker is, it will take some research to discover this. I’ve also seen questions like what does 14k GP mean?
If a piece was made in a foreign country for import into England, it would include a maker’s mark, control mark and standard mark. But if a piece was made in England for sale at home it would require a fourth mark, a British assay mark. These changes may sound confusing at first, but are of great benefit.
Where does the 925 mark on sterling silver come from?
In fact the vast majority of mass produced silver reproductions today, whether made in Thailand, India, England, Europe or America, now include 925 in the mark. With the 925 standard mark, a piece of silver can virtually be sold world wide with the same mark. The use of 925, however, does not preclude the use of sterling.
What are the symbols on a sterling silver plate?
The Gorham company’s mark was a row of three emblems: a lion (for sterling), an anchor (for its base in Rhode Island), and a “G” (its initial). Silver plate has its own codes in the United States and abroad.
What kind of stamp is on a silver teaspoon?
c.1820, found on an American coin silver teaspoon, mark could possibly be an uncatalogued Merriman or Moulton stamp. c.1840, found on an American coin silver table spoon, possibly Merriman & Clark of Memphis, Tennessee. Sterling and plated ware. (b.1832-d.1895) German emigre, active c.1854-1895, began as silversmith, ended as large retail jeweler.
