What is 825 silver?

A mark that reads 825 silver is used for jewelry and other items made from silver. This marking denotes that the item is 82.5 percent silver. It is sometimes referred to as continental or European silver.

Silver alone is an extremely soft metal and hard to work with. Because of this, metal workers and jewelry designers add additional metals to silver in order to make it workable. Copper is commonly used, and it is added once the silver has been melted down into liquid form.

Anyone can add a marking to a piece of jewelry, flatware or other silver item. Just because the item is marked 825 silver does not mean it is, and the item should be tested for verification.