925
Sterling silver · 92.5% pure
925 is the stamp for sterling silver: 92.5% pure silver, with the other 7.5% almost always copper. It's the most common silver standard in the world — struck as “925”, “STERLING”, or beside a national mark like the British lion. Pure silver is too soft to wear every day, so that small amount of copper is what gives a piece the strength to hold its shape.
Hallmark Translator
Translate a purity you know into how any country marks it — gold, silver, platinum, palladium — or compare two countries side by side.
Why 92.5%?
Fine silver — 999, almost pure — is beautiful but soft. A ring or chain made from it would bend, scratch and lose its shape with ordinary wear. Mixing in 7.5% of a harder metal, nearly always copper, gives the alloy its backbone while keeping it overwhelmingly silver. That alloy is what we call sterling.
The 92.5% ratio is old: it is the English “sterling” standard that gave both the metal and the pound “sterling” their name, and it has been the working definition of solid silver jewellery for centuries. When a piece is stamped 925, it is being measured against that same standard — wherever in the world it was made.
Alloy 92.5% silver · 7.5% copper (usually)
And the standards around it
- 925Sterling
- 92.5% — the global standard for silver jewellery.
How 14 countries strike 925
The number means the same metal everywhere — but every country marks it differently. Some strike a national emblem beside it; others, like the United States, mark it in type alone. Tap a country for its full system.
Independent assay
Mandatory maker's mark
Italy
StandardKnown as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
China & Hong Kong
Known as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
Belgium
StandardKnown as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
Türkiye
StandardKnown as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
South Korea
StandardKnown as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
Voluntary marking
United States
StandardKnown as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
Japan
Known as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
Germany
Known as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
Thailand
StandardKnown as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
Brazil
StandardKnown as Sterling. What to look for beside the 925.
What people actually ask
Is 925 real silver?
Yes. 925 is solid, real silver — 92.5% of the metal by weight. It isn't plated or fake; it's the standard most silver jewellery is actually made to. The remaining 7.5% is a harder metal, usually copper, added for durability.
Does 925 silver tarnish?
Yes, slowly. The copper in the alloy reacts with air and traces of sulphur and darkens over time. Tarnish is normal, it polishes off, and it is not a sign that the silver is fake — even pure silver tarnishes, just more slowly.
Why is there a 925 stamp on a gold-coloured piece?
That's almost always vermeil or gold-plated sterling: a 925 silver base with a thin layer of gold on top. The 925 describes the silver underneath — the gold is a coating, not the body of the piece.
Does 925 silver turn your skin green or cause a reaction?
Sometimes. The copper in sterling can leave a harmless green mark, and a few alloys contain nickel, which sensitive skin can react to. Good-quality sterling rarely does either, but it can happen with sweat, lotions or lower-grade alloys.
Is 925 silver worth anything?
Yes — it has real silver value: 92.5% of its weight is silver, so it carries a melt value that tracks the silver price. It is worth far less than the same weight of gold, and a finished piece can be worth more than its melt value for its craftsmanship.
A reference guide, not an authentication service. The same number can appear on different metals, and the mark beside it varies by country, date and maker — consult the relevant assay office or standards body for definitive identification.