Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver was first defined in England during the 13th century when, in 1275, King Edward 1 established the standard for purity at 92.5% silver.
The composition of Sterling Silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. Jewelry made with Sterling Silver is typically stamped “925,” which signifies 92.5% pure silver in it.
The downside of Sterling Silver jewelry is that it can easily tarnish if not kept in anti-tarnish bags, or wiped with a polishing cloth after each use.
Argentium Sterling Silver
Argentium Sterling Silver is a newcomer to the market, and the most significant development in silver in centuries. It was invented in 1996 by Master Silversmith Peter Johns, at Middlesex University, London, and patented in 1998. Aside from eliminating fire stain (from heating), the other benefits are its exceptional resistance to tarnishing, as well as making the Sterling Silver stronger.
Argentium Sterling Silver has a higher pure silver content than Sterling Silver, and is comprised of pure silver, copper, and Germanium, which is the element that prevents fire staining and its exceptional resistance to tarnishing. Argentium Sterling Silver comes in two different levels of pure silver.
Argentium 935 Sterling Silver contains 93.5% pure silver, 5.3% copper, and 1.2% Germanium, and is referenced as 935 Sterling Silver.
Argentium 940 Sterling Silver contains 94% pure silver, 5% copper, and 1% Germanium. It is referenced as 940 Sterling Silver, and has a brighter, whiter shine and color than platinum, white gold, or traditional 925 Sterling Silver. It is gradually becoming the most desirable Sterling Silver in jewelry making.
One downside, if you can call it that Argentium 940 Sterling Silver has a higher pure silver content, and is more expensive than 925 Sterling Silver.
The other downsides of using Argentium 940 Sterling Silver in my jewelry making is that sourcing Argentium 940 Sterling Silver wire is limited to only a few vendors, and not every component needed to make a piece of jewelry is currently available in Argentium 940 Sterling Silver. In these instances, a combination of 925 Sterling Silver and Argentium 940 Sterling Silver will be used to create one of my pieces.
It will always be stated in my jewelry set descriptions what type of silver is used.