When you look at jewelry described as silver it can mean so many things. If you have any metal allergies, knowing the difference is extremely important.

When you are shopping for jewelry, look very closely at the description. Most will say sterling silver, silver plated, or sterling silver filled, German Silver, surgical steel, niobium.  If the description doesn’t specify,  it is best to assume the wire is silver plated.

Silver plated wire is copper or brass that has been plated with a thin layer of .999 silver or tin.  The plating is so thin that it is easy to chip off if you aren’t careful.  Different processes result in some silver plated wire that resists chipping.  Surgical Steel commonly used in ear wires is made of chromium, 10% nickel and molybdenum.  If you have metal allergies to nickel, then surgical steel is something you need to stay away from.   German Silver is another one that uses nickel.  It is a copper alloy that includes 20% nickel and zinc.

If you have allergies or just want to invest in a high quality jewelry, then the next set of silver metals are for you.  First, we have fine silver composed of 99.9 silver and .1% copper added for stability. Next is sterling silver  made of 92.5 silver and 7.5% other metals (usually copper).  Sterling silver filed wire is new to the market.  It is made like silver plated, but the coating is 100 times thicker and covers a small copper core.  This works out well since it bridges the gap between silver plated and precious metals.

The last material I wanted to cover is not silver at all.  It is the silver colored base metal called niobium.  I included this metal because if you have allergies this is the absolute best metal to buy. Niobium can also be anodized into  beautiful colors. Keep in mind it is more expensive.  It is only being produced in Brazil and Canada at this time.