The History of 925 Silver and 925 Gold Plated Silver

The oldest silver objects date back to 5000 BC and come from India. However, their use came after the discovery of gold and copper, still in prehistoric times, around 3000 BC.

Silver is therefore the whitest metal of all and has a particularly high light-reflecting power. Alchemists considered silver to be the element closest to gold, that is, gold was the perfect metal and so they gave it the symbol of a circle, representing the sun, and silver, “almost perfect”, they gave it the symbol of a semicircle, representing the moon.

The name given to this metal was due to its characteristic shine, with the word silver in both Greek ( argyros ) and Latin ( argentum ) meaning shiny. The chemical symbol given to silver (Ag) is due to its Latin name.

Silver mining in Greece around 1000 BC was responsible for the wealth of Athenia, that is, the Greek Empire. These mines were exploited until Roman times.

The discovery of the New World in 1492 was followed by the opening of large silver mines in regions such as Mexico, Bolivia and Peru, which led to a rapid increase in global silver production. When Spanish colonists discovered the magnificent silver mine in Potosi, Bolivia, they immediately immigrated to the area, establishing routes, taxes, cities, institutions and more. The Potosi deposit was the largest silver mine ever discovered in the world, and was exploited for around 300 years at the cost of thousands of indigenous people who worked in terrible working conditions.

On the other hand, as with gold and copper, silver has always been a metal used in the manufacture of various materials, and it was also used as a currency for exchange between Chinese merchants and as an ornament for the Muslim people. At the same time, it was mined by miners in Latin America by the Pre-Inca people.

The history of silver in Portugal dates back to the time of the Romans, who explored the silver mines in the Aljustrel region of Alentejo. During the Middle Ages, silver was mainly used to produce coins, which were minted in various cities throughout the country. In the 17th century, with the creation of the Royal Mint in Lisbon, coin production became more standardized, grandiose and organized.

Similarly, silver began to be used in the production of cutlery and other luxury decorative objects that conveyed a sense of wealth and high standing in society. The most highly valued silver pieces in Portugal were centerpieces, candlesticks, teapots and tea and coffee sets. These objects gave rise to renowned goldsmiths to produce and sell their pieces. In addition to decorative pieces, silver was also (and continues to be) widely used in religious objects, such as chalices, monstrances and monstrances, which are easily found in basilicas, churches and convents all over the world.

Today, silver continues to be a highly valued material in Portugal. Although its production is no longer as frequent as in the past, silver is still considered a luxury and prestigious material, highly appreciated even by collectors and art lovers. Today, its value is only surpassed by gold, and even so, it is possible to find silver pieces worth more than its biggest competitor.

In traditional jewellery shops and in some commercial stores that sell this type of item, silver is called 925 silver or sterling silver, similar to the reasoning used for gold, that is, for a given weight of pure silver (1000/1000) a weight of copper is added, equivalent to 8% of its weight of pure silver. These elements are added to the alloy to make it harder and more resistant to wear, as well as to maintain its unique characteristics of colour and shine. This is a standard that determines the highest degree of purity to guarantee the quality of the jewellery manufactured.

Although all silver is generally recognised as having a 925 fineness, it is possible to find pieces with lower fineness, 830 or 835, for example. Thus, in the same way that all gold pieces have two hallmarks, the same criteria apply to silver. One of the hallmarks is affixed by the manufacturer of the piece and the other by the Mint, applied by the Assay Office.

As a curiosity, the porosity of silver means that it is more easily attacked by external agents and therefore tends to darken a little more, whether through contact with sweat or other types of acids. However, it quickly recovers its original color. Simply use a good silver cleaning product and it will be as good as new! In fact, there are silver pieces that are darkened on purpose to show the versatility of silver!

Another versatile use of silver, created by the excessive value of gold, which is yellow in color, and by consumers' insufficient purchasing power to acquire more valuable pieces, began to use gold-plated silver, with exactly the same touch as 925. Thus, traditionally, both white silver and gold-plated silver can be used to create unique, beautiful and sublime pieces with regard to the renowned art of filigree.