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Sterling silver IS real silver, but it's alloyed with 7.5% copper or other metals to make it less soft.

Old US dimes, quarters, halves, and dollars were made of an alloy called coin silver that had 10% copper in it so that the coins wouldn't wear out too quickly.

Sterling silver means at least 92.5 percent silver. Pure silver is too soft to be any use for jewelery as it's almost like lead so copper is added to give some strength to it by jewelers.

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Q: What is the difference between sterling silver and real silver?
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'Sterling' silver is real silver. Any item that is described as 'Sterling' silver will always be real silver as 'Sterling' is actually the name gives to the 925 purity of silver. Sterling is 92.5% purity. This is the standard of real silver as we know it.It will also be hallmarked with the number of fineness at 925, as classified internationally as Sterling Silver.


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