Silver purity isn't a single yes/no question - it's a scale, expressed as parts-per-thousand of pure silver in the alloy. "925" is the number you'll see stamped on almost every piece of silver jewellery, but understanding where it sits on that scale, and why, makes you a sharper buyer.
The purity scale, from pure to alloyed
- 999 (fine silver) - 99.9% pure silver. The softest, most malleable grade. Beautiful colour and shine, but too soft to hold up as everyday jewellery - it dents, scratches, and loses shape under normal wear.
- 958 (Britannia silver) - 95.8% pure. A historical British standard, harder than fine silver but still softer than sterling. Uncommon in modern commercial jewellery.
- 925 (sterling silver) - 92.5% pure, 7.5% other metal (almost always copper). The international jewellery-industry standard. Hard enough for daily wear, still close enough to pure silver's colour and workability to be called "silver" without qualification.
- 900 (coin silver) - 90% pure. Historically used for silver coinage and some flatware; harder again than sterling but a less common grade in jewellery today.
- Below ~800 generally isn't marketed as "silver" jewellery at all in most markets - at that point the alloy is mostly base metal, and calling it silver would be misleading.
Why the trade settled on 925
Sterling silver's 7.5% copper content is a deliberate engineering trade-off. Pure silver is too soft to hold fine detail - granulation, filigree, prong settings, clasps that need to spring back into shape - under real-world handling. Adding copper hardens the alloy enough to survive daily wear and hold intricate work, while keeping the colour and lustre close enough to pure silver that the eye can't tell the difference. Go much below 925 and the alloy starts looking visibly duller or more yellow as the copper content rises; stay at 925 and you get the best practical balance of durability and appearance the trade has landed on for centuries.
Reading a purity stamp
You'll see purity marked a few different ways: "925", ".925", "S925", or "Sterling Silver" spelled out. All of these should mean the same 92.5% standard. A formal BIS hallmark (in India) goes further than a plain stamp - it adds the hallmarking centre's mark and a verifiable HUID number, which a simple "925" stamp alone doesn't provide (see our companion guide on 925 hallmarking for what a full hallmark includes and how to check one). A stamp on its own is a manufacturer's claim; a hallmark is an independently verified one - worth knowing the difference when you're comparing suppliers.
What this means for a wholesale buyer
When you're comparing components across suppliers, purity grade should be one of the first things you confirm - not assumed from the word "silver" alone. Ask specifically for the fineness number, not just "is this silver." Every design across our catalogue is genuine 925 sterling silver - the same standard, consistently, whether you're looking at a plain jump ring or a hand-detailed Bali Beads focal piece - so the purity question has one answer across the whole range.