Description: Sterling Silver Antiques: Find High Quality Sterling Silver Antiques and replacement parts.
silver (2685) flatware (133) silverware (94) holloware (20) silverplate (17) antiques sterling silver (1)
Pure silver, is generally too soft for producing functional objects, so silver is usually alloyed with copper to give it strength while maintaining the appearance of a precious metal. Sterling silver contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% of other metals, usually copper.
Sterling silver was first used for commerce as early as the 12th century. The first legal definition of sterling silver specified that 12 ounces of silver for coinage should contain 11 ounces 2 1⁄4 pennyweights of silver and 17 3⁄4 pennyweights of alloy, with 20 pennyweights to the Troy ounce.
Silver objects sold commercially are usually stamped with one or more silver hallmarks indicating the purity of the silver, the mark of the silversmith, and sometimes the date and location of manufacture.