The measurement of fineness of silver jewelry generally has the following types:
99 stands for pure silver. Although 100% is pure silver in theory, it is difficult to obtain the purity of 100% in practice. Silver is pale in color and soft in texture, so jewelry made of it is easy to deform and cannot be inlaid with gems.
"98" stands for foot silver, with a silver content of 98% and a copper content of 2%. The jewelry is marked as 980.
"925" silver contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, and the jewelry is marked as 925. Most of our common silver ornaments are made of 925 silver. After polishing, 925 silver jewelry presents a very beautiful metallic luster, but also has a certain hardness, which can be inlaid with gems and made into high-grade jewelry.
How to tell whether silver ornaments are electroplated or not
Silver jewelry is generally divided into electroplating and non-electroplating (such as platinum plating, etc. )
Electroplated silver jewelry: that is, the inner layer is pure silver, and the surface is treated with current; Electroplating makes its surface appear brighter than pure silver, with good reflective effect and is not easy to be oxidized (oxidation time depends on electroplating thickness).
Electroless silver jewelry: easy to lose luster due to vulcanization. Sulfur dioxide in the air reacts with silver to form a layer of silver sulfide on silver ornaments, which is the same as the apple will slowly turn black after being cut. ). It needs to be maintained with silver cloth to restore luster, or it can be washed with silver washing water.
How is the silver jewelry maintained?
Many friends like sterling silver ornaments, but they don't know how to maintain them. In fact, we only need to spend some time in our daily life to make silver ornaments last as long as new.
1, the best way to maintain silver jewelry is to wear it every day, because human oil can produce a natural and moist luster.
2. Don't wear other precious metal jewelry when wearing silver jewelry to avoid collision, deformation or wear.
Keep the silver ornaments dry, don't wear them to swim, and don't go near hot springs and seawater. When not in use, you can gently wipe the surface with cotton cloth or paper towel to remove moisture and dirt, and put it in a sealed bag or box to avoid contact with air.
If the silver ornaments show signs of yellowing, the easiest way is to gently wash the surface with toothpaste and some water. Or use a small jewelry brush to clean up the fine seams of the silver ornaments, and then gently wipe the surface with a silver cloth, and the original aesthetic feeling of the ornaments can be restored immediately. (If the silver cloth can restore about 80% to 90% of silver, don't use silver lotion and silver washing water, because they are corrosive to some extent, and silver ornaments are more likely to turn yellow after using these products. In addition, silver cloth contains silver maintenance ingredients and cannot be washed with water)
5. The silverware is seriously yellowed, so it should not be soaked in silver washing water for too long, usually in a few seconds. Rinse with clear water immediately after taking it out, and then dry it with a paper towel.
White iron ore and Tibetan silver
Marquette: It's usually full of silver, which is 99% silver. Some processes in Thailand sulfurize 925 silver into "ancient silver effect", also called "Makasit".
Tibetan silver: generally does not contain silver, which is an elegant name for white copper. Traditionally, Tibetan silver is 30% silver and 70% copper. Because the silver content is still too low, there is no silver in the market, so it is replaced by all-white copper.