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Silver Mexico

Read This Before Buying Silver Jewellery

 There are many different names for silver jewellery on the market today. So, what are all these types of silver and what do they mean?

This article will educate you so you understand what the different terminologies are when you are buying 92.5 silver jewelry or silver gemstone jewelry.

What is silver?

Silver is a metal which has been used for hundreds of years. Silver is mined from many countries but the biggest producers are Mexico, Peru and Australia.

Silver in its pure form, is normally considered too soft for everyday use. Therefore, other metals are added to the pure silver such as cooper.

The different types of “Silver”

Sterling silver is the main type of silver used in jewellery, ornaments & dinnerware today. This is solid silver. Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% metal alloy.

Sterling silver is hallmarked as “925”.

Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver and is normally considered too soft to use for most items. It is also solid silver.

Silver plating is common and sometimes dishonest sellers try to pass this off as sterling silver. It’s also call electroplated silver or silver coated as well. Silver plated items are made using a base metal, normally brass or nickel, which is then put through an electroplating process. Electroplating is a process which adheres a very very thin layer of pure silver onto the base metal.

The result is a sterling silver looking item at a much reduced price. It may look like sterling silver but the silver plating tends to wear off quite quickly exposing the less than beautiful base metal.

Alpaca Silver or German Silver is not actually silver at all. It is a greyish looking alloy which resembles silver. It is sometimes referred to as nickel silver, paktong, and new silver. It is also used as a base for silver plated items because of its appearance. If you want real silver, stay away from this. Also, beware of sellers selling this as “fine jewellery” to consumers that don’t know the difference between sterling silver and alpaca silver.

Mexican Silver is silver is used to describe silver made in Mexico. It must have more than 90% pure silver content to be Mexican silver. Most silver jewellery from Mexico today is actually sterling silver.

Britannia Silver has a pure silver content of 95.85% and no more than 4.16% copper. This silver is marked in the U.K. and Ireland as "958 silver." It is an even more pure form of silver than sterling silver. Hence it’s higher valuer.

Antiquing of Sterling Silver Jewelry

Antiquing is very common in the silver industry today and is the practice of applying a finishing process to sterling silver to give the item an appearance of age. As well as giving the item an appearance of age, it also helps to produce a contrast which makes the details of intricate designs stand out better.

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Ring, 'Silver Monarch' (Mexico) $69.95 Monarch butterflies that migrate every year from Canada to Mexico inspire this exclusive design by Oscar Figueroa. He captures the butterflies' ethereal beauty with the gleaming essence of sterling silver. .925 Sterling silver.

Sterling silver choker, 'Raindrop' (Mexico) $54.95 The luminous allure of sterling silver creates the effect of a crystalline raindrop. Priscila Canales masterminds the illusion with silver mined in Mexico. .925 Sterling silver

Mexico $10 Mexico

New Mexico $2.49 New Mexico Vinyl Sticker One 3.5x5-inch New Mexico state-shaped sticker with names of cities and pictures of New Mexico-related things like state bird Roadrunner, state flower Yucca Flower, silver bars, cactus, jalapeno pepper, bull, kokopelli, crashed a

Sterling silver choker, 'Silver Waterfall' (Mexico) $157.95 Torrents of silver flow from a dazzling design by Mexico's Carlos Mu�oz. The choker is crafted of luminous sterling silver. .925 Sterling silver

Silver dangle earrings, 'Textures' (Mexico) $37.99 Crafted by hand, these earrings boast rich textures. Alon Diller evokes Mexico's rugged Sierra Madre peaks in silver. .950 silver

Silver dangle earrings Textures (Mexico) $37.99 Crafted by hand, these earrings boast rich textures. Alon Diller evokes Mexico's rugged Sierra Madre peaks in silver. .950 silver

Greetings from Silver City, New Mexico $49.99 Greetings from Silver City, New Mexico - Giclee Print

Sterling silver choker, 'Ringlet' (Mexico) $114.95 Curled into a ringlet, a wide sterling ribbon flaunts contrasting textures in silver. Mexico's Carlos and Cynthia Rendon handcraft their original design with silver mined in Taxco. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver cufflinks, 'Surreal Silver' (Mexico) $72.95 Mexico's Guillermo conjures a wave of surreal elegance for the exclusive design of these cufflinks. They are crafted with sterling silver featuring a luminous textured contrast. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver pendant necklace, 'Leaf Fossil' (Mexico) $147.95 As if fossilized in sterling silver, a leaf adorns this original necklace. It is designed and handcrafted by Guillermo Arregui in Mexico. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver pendant necklace Leaf Fossil (Mexico) $147.95 As if fossilized in sterling silver, a leaf adorns this original necklace. It is designed and handcrafted by Guillermo Arregui in Mexico. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver dangle earrings, 'Silver Jingles' (Mexico) $64.99 Jingling spheres dance alluringly on airy silver drop earrings. Handcrafted of sterling silver, the original design by Gianluca Anzani is inspired by traditional styles from central Mexico. .925 Sterling silver.

Sterling silver dangle earrings Silver Jingles (Mexico) $64.99 Jingling spheres dance alluringly on airy silver drop earrings. Handcrafted of sterling silver, the original design by Gianluca Anzani is inspired by traditional styles from central Mexico. .925 Sterling silver.

Sterling silver button earrings, 'Raindrops' (Mexico) $57.95 The luminous allure of sterling silver creates the effect of crystalline raindrops. Priscila Canales masterminds the illusion with silver mined in Mexico. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver button earrings Raindrops (Mexico) $57.95 The luminous allure of sterling silver creates the effect of crystalline raindrops. Priscila Canales masterminds the illusion with silver mined in Mexico. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver drop earrings, 'Silver Swan' (Mexico) $52.95 These beautifully curvaceous earrings depict a swan, poised on a silver coil. By Gianluca Anzani, they are his own interpretation of traditional styles from central Mexico. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver drop earrings, 'Silver Vineyard' (Mexico) $41.99 Clinging to a sterling tendril, tiny grapes cluster at the edge of a leaf. Gianluca Anzani evokes the vineyards of Baja California. The delicate earrings are crafted by hand of lustrous sterling silver, a reminder of Mexico's beauty and diversity. 0.925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver pendant necklace, 'Silver Monarch' (Mexico) $50.99 Monarch butterflies that migrate every year from Canada to Mexico inspire this exclusive design by Oscar Figueroa. He captures the butterflies' ethereal beauty with the gleaming essence of sterling silver. .925 Sterling silver.

Sterling silver cuff bracelet, 'Silver River' (Mexico) $142.95 Mexico's Oscar Figueroa underscores aesthetic minimalism with the rocky textures of this sleek cuff. It is crafted by hand with Taxco silver featuring a smooth gleaming rod for contrast. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver drop earrings Silver Swan (Mexico) $52.95 These beautifully curvaceous earrings depict a swan, poised on a silver coil. By Gianluca Anzani, they are his own interpretation of traditional styles from central Mexico. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver pendant necklace Silver Monarch (Mexico) $50.99 Monarch butterflies that migrate every year from Canada to Mexico inspire this exclusive design by Oscar Figueroa. He captures the butterflies' ethereal beauty with the gleaming essence of sterling silver. .925 Sterling silver.

Sterling silver button earrings, 'Silver Monarchs' (Mexico) $44.95 Monarch butterflies that migrate every year from Canada to Mexico inspire this design by Oscar Figueroa. He captures their ethereal beauty with the gleaming essence of sterling silver. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver button earrings, 'Sterling Buds' (Mexico) $64.95 Sterling buds promise silver flowers as they poise on earrings. An original design by Mexico's Priscila Canales, the buds are detailed with burnished accents. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver drop earrings, 'Hypnotize' (Mexico) $29.95 The vibrant, hypnotic design of these earrings is by Mexico's Guillermo Arregui. They are crafted with sterling silver featuring concentric circles that are underscored by oxidized details. .925 Sterling silver

Silver drop earrings, 'Taxco Modern' (Mexico) $42.95 Glistening with silver light, these earrings cast a spell of modern elegance. They are crafted by hand featuring a high polished finish in a design by Alon Diller in Mexico. .950 Silver

Sterling silver button earrings, 'Song of the Sea' (Mexico) $59.95 Like drops of crystalline water, these earrings lure with fascinating elegance. The earrings are designed by Guillermo Arregui and crafted by hand with sterling silver in Mexico. .925 Sterling silver

Sterling silver button earrings, 'New Life' (Mexico) $29.95 New leaves sprout with the promise of life in the design of these earrings. By Guillermo Arregui in Mexico, the sterling silver earrings are crafted by hand with artistic finesse. .925 Sterling silver

Silver dangle earrings, 'Stars OverTaxco' (Mexico) $59.95 Bright stars over Taxco shed their light on earrings by Alon Diller. His modern design is crafted by hand with polished silver mined in Mexico. .950 Silver

Sterling silver button earrings, 'Leaf Fossil' (Mexico) $81.96 Fossilized in sterling silver, a leaf adorns the original design of these earrings. They are designed by Guillermo Arregui and are crafted by hand in Mexico. .925 Sterling silver