Silver is incredibly shiny. When polished to a fine sheen, for example, it has the ability to reflect 95% of the visible light spectrum. This is just one of the many reasons why people appreciate and collect silver jewelry and other items made from this precious metal.
A Brief History of Silver Mining
Silver mining dates back thousands of years. The Royal Society of Chemistry, for example, reported that the first evidence of this precious metal being mined was found in Turkey and Greece circa 3000 B.C. Throughout the centuries, silver has been used to form both decorative and functional items.
A Few Facts About Silver’s Properties
Pure silver is very soft. Given this, it is usually combined with copper or other metals so that jewelry and other functional items such as tableware can be created. Sterling silver is primarily made by combining 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. In addition to gold, silver alloys are the second most commonly used precious metal for jewelry making.
How Silver Was Authenticated During the 19th and 20th Centuries
When objects such as vases and sterling candlesticks were made of sterling silver during the 19th and 20th centuries, they were usually marked to show authenticity. This came in the form of either the word, “Sterling,” or the number, “925.” It’s also interesting to note that there are a minimum of 14 separate languages where the words, “silver,” and “money” are the same word. This definitely points to the value of this metal throughout time.
Locate a Silver Dealer Near You
Are you interested in either selling or purchasing sterling silver items? Silver dealers may be interested in looking at and potentially buying your antique sterling silver jewelry, tea sets, or trays. If you have an antique sterling silver trophy or a collection of them, your dealer may be interested in these as well. If you’re looking to purchase a sterling silver trophy to have engraved as a special gift, there’s an excellent chance your local shop will have these and other sterling silver gifts, such as baby cups, available.
