Everything about 875 silver: what kind of alloy is it, what is its composition and how much does 1 gram cost today?

Greetings, my beloved readers.

Today I want to talk about suspicious “white gold” with the number 875. Precious metals are a favorite tool of scammers. Passing off a low-grade item as exclusive jewelry is a common trick of scammers.

Thus, 875 silver is similar to white gold, and products made from it are often purchased by inexperienced buyers at an inflated price. I will tell you about the properties of this brand of noble metal and how not to confuse it with gold.

What kind of sample is this

Before describing the characteristics of the 875 alloy, I will explain the meaning of the term “sample”. Gold and silver are not cheap materials; they are very soft and difficult to process. If you wear jewelry made from pure metals, they will quickly wear out and lose their shape.

The high cost and softness of gold and silver led to the addition of impurities or alloys consisting of copper, less often platinum, zinc, cadmium or nickel.

Additives give the alloy hardness, elasticity, and change its color. To indicate the amount of gold or silver, the concept of “fineness” was introduced. In Russia, all alloys containing more than 30% precious metal are subject to assaying.

Composition and properties

The 875th sample contains 87.5% silver and 12.5% ​​alloy. It has a dazzling white color, almost like pure silver, and is slightly oxidized in air. Copper is usually used as an impurity.

1 kg of 875th sample contains 875 grams of silver and 125 grams of copper. Copper increases hardness and gives the product a reddish tint.

Rarely, the following substances can be used as ligatures:

• cadmium – lowers the melting point and hardness;
• zinc – further reduces the melting point, as well as ductility;
• platinum – increases the elasticity and melting point of the substance;
• nickel – adds hardness, improves casting properties.

The use of platinum increases the cost of the product several times. Nickel and cadmium are not used in making silverware or jewelry as they are toxic. Over time, darkening forms on the surface of the metal.

A chemical reaction is to blame. Silver combines with sulfur compounds found in the environment or on the human body. As a result, blackening forms on the product - silver sulfide.

Strength

Thanks to impurities, items made from 875 are stronger than those made from pure silver. It is a kind of border between low-grade and sterling metal. Sterling silver starts at .925. Good strength allows you to create both cutlery and inexpensive jewelry from 875 standard.

Is it silver or gold?

If palladium or platinum is added to gold, the cost of the resulting alloy will be higher than in the case of copper. Its color will not be yellow, but white, similar to silver. Fraudsters take advantage of this similarity, passing off one metal as another. But how to distinguish them? This is where the mark on the product indicating the sample comes to the rescue.

Precious alloys have standardized hallmark lists. The table below shows their meanings.

As can be seen from the table, if, for example, “875” is stamped on a ring, then it cannot be gold, since there is no 875 standard for this metal. This means the product is silver.

Alloy shade chart

Depending on the sample and ligature, the shade of the metal may vary. There are alloys below 600, they are used in production. Below is a table showing the dependence of the color of silver on the amount of impurity in the sample.

In addition to copper, it is rare, but other alloys in silver are found. They make an additional contribution to the color scheme of the metal.

The color change is mainly affected by the copper content of the silver. Other impurities are very rare in jewelry production.

Brand

Only the Russian State Assay Chamber has the right to apply a mark. In Russia you can find the following options for hallmarking silver 875:

• a sign in the form of a barrel with a head in a kokoshnik, looking to the right. The barrel is used to represent silver. To the left of the woman’s head is a letter indicating the territorial affiliation of the supervisory inspection. On the right is stamped the number 875, indicating the mass fraction of silver in the product;
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• Soviet mark. From 1958 to 1994, the mark used in the USSR was affixed. It is similar to the Russian one, only instead of a woman’s head there was a star with a hammer and sickle. In the Soviet Union, the correspondence of the hallmark to the hallmark was strictly controlled, and jewelry products were of high quality, which cannot be said about many current jewelry. Therefore, “star” products are in great demand; they are valued more expensively in pawn shops;

• antique silver. In Tsarist Russia, the spool test was adopted. A spool is a measure of weight equal to 1/96 of a pound or approximately 4.3 grams. Pure metal without impurities had a purity of 96. Modern 875th silver corresponds to the 84th spool. Such numbers can be found on antique products. The photo below shows the old stamp.

In addition to the metric system for measuring precious metal, the carat standard is used in foreign countries.

How many carats are in this sample?

In the USA and Canada, the amount of precious metal in an alloy is measured in carats.

To avoid confusion with the metric system, one of the following abbreviations is placed after the numbers:

• K;
• kt;
• C;
• ct.

The correspondence between carat and metric standards is shown in the table.

According to the table, the 875th hallmark is equal to 21 carats. Now, looking at foreign items, you can easily determine the amount of silver in them.

Why do they fake it?

Sometimes sellers try to pass off products with the mark “875” as gold, because its price is several times higher than the cost of its counterpart. Gilded items, if you do not look at the markings, are very easy to confuse with gold. They try to pass off ordinary silver as white gold, although it differs in a number of external characteristics.

How to distinguish a fake from a genuine product

Even in the store, you must definitely pay attention to the brand applied to the item. To see it better, use a magnifying glass. If there is no mark, it is not a noble metal at all. A large number of scratches may indicate this.

In addition, the seller must have a certificate for the product. Silver is easily recognized by its softness - thin parts can be slightly deformed when pressed. Both in life and in the photo, gold has a more intense shine, while silver has a softer, muted shine.

Differences from 925 silver

Another common type of silver is 925. Its main features are a greater amount of noble metal and the absence of yellowness. It contains 92.5% silver, and therefore the products are more expensive.

Most jewelry is made from 925 grade metal. It is more flexible than 875 and allows you to create elegant, openwork accessories. It shines with a noble silver-white hue, which cannot be said about the 875 sample, which has a slight yellowness.

Kinds

The amount of valuable base in the product varies from 37.5 to 99%. To avoid confusion, the shares of silver and gold are designated differently. In accordance with the approved resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 6, 2016, the nomenclature is as follows:

Gold items are marked with a mark in the form of an elongated rectangle. Thus, sample 875 belongs to Argentum.

How can you recognize a fake?

There are several ways to determine whether it is silver or not:

• “lunar” metal has high thermal conductivity. If you hold it in your hand for a few minutes or put it in hot water for 10 seconds, it will quickly heat up to the temperature of your hand or water;
• Ag is not attracted to a magnet. If an object is magnetized, then it is not silver;
• sound and reflection of light. Silver is a very sonorous metal. If you drop a piece of jewelry from a meter high onto a hard floor, a loud vibrating sound will be heard. Silver also has a reflectivity of 96%, so it shines very brightly in the sun;
• if a low-quality product is sold, it will leave dark marks on the skin. To check, you need to rub it on the skin for about a minute and see the result;
• chalk can also be used for checking. Rub the silver with it. If dark stripes appear on the chalk, it means the metal is genuine;
• iodine testing. Drop iodine onto the item being tested. If it turns black, then it is silver. The disadvantage of such a test is that it is very difficult to remove the darkening later. If the stain turns out to be light, then it is not silver;
• Make a deeper scratch on the metal in an inconspicuous place. If there is material of a different color under the outer layer, it means the item was silvered. Drip vinegar into the groove formed. The appearance of green foam indicates a fake;
• Jewelry stores sell a kit with chemical reagents for testing silver. You can purchase a touchstone with it so as not to damage the object being tested. Then rub the test item on the stone. Drop the reagent from the kit onto the remaining trace. The quality of the product is determined by the resulting color. The color scheme is given in the table.

The Internet describes how to check with a lapis pencil. But I will question the relevance of this method, since finding a pencil now is problematic. Testing at home does not guarantee 100% accuracy. It is better to conduct it in a jewelry workshop or assay office.

Application of this alloy

Jewelry for undemanding customers is made from the material described. 875 is stronger than 925, so it is harder to process. Rings, chains, bracelets, rings - this is the assortment of the 875th sample. Gemstone inlays are not uncommon for this material as it can hold them.

Also, the 875th sample is used to make tableware and candlesticks. No matter what year it is, silver tableware always remains a prestigious feature. Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many houses and restaurants were furnished with silver sets.

But with the increasing costs of their production, as well as the need for constant cleaning, they were supplanted by their more practical counterparts. Cigarette cases, ashtrays, cup holders, and shot glasses are now common.

Gilding

In Soviet times, 875 standard was very widely used for the manufacture of gold-plated jewelry. Therefore, quite often you can find the mark 875 on old products, although they look like red gold. The quality of the alloy can be determined by the shape of the mark, as well as by the presence of abrasions that differ in color from all other surfaces.

In the modern jewelry industry, silver of a higher standard - 925 or sterling - is increasingly used for gilding. Detailed information about ways to detect counterfeits can be obtained by reading the article “How to identify gold at home.”

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of the 875th sample include low cost. Using rhodium plating and plating, stylish, beautiful jewelry is obtained. You can flaunt such jewelry at banquets and social events. Low tendency to oxidation, blackening, strength are the positive aspects of the material.

Insufficient ductility and difficulty in processing are the weak points of 875 silver. It is more difficult to create elegant crafts from 875 standard than from sterling. Excessive hardness interferes with fine processing, so 875 silver is more often used in industrial jewelry production.

Where can you buy or sell

You can buy 875-grade silver in numerous jewelry stores and pawn shops. Their addresses can be found on the Internet. Read reviews before purchasing. You can sell them in the same organizations.

How much does 1 gram of silver of this standard cost today?

The price changes every day and is set by the Central Bank of Russia. You can find it on the bank's website. Moreover, the price of the 999th sample is indicated. It needs to be multiplied by 0.875, and the cost of a gram will be 875 marks. For convenience, I suggest using a “live” graph and table.

The value of precious metals

Argentum and aurum are the flagships among precious metals. Over time, they began to be viewed as a subject of speculative activity. Practice shows that investments in precious metals fully pay off in the long term. Fluctuating prices for these metals constitute the main source of income for many global market participants. And if the price of argentum has a more stable dynamics, then gold can be equated to a “pendulum”. This is why people prefer to store this precious metal not only as jewelry but also as a long-term asset.

Recommendations for care, cleaning and storage

Moon metal should be stored in a dry and dark place. Wear it more often. If the jewelry sits for a long time, it will fade faster. There is no need to dump all the items in one pile, as they will damage each other.

The main enemies of silver are:

• increased humidity and temperature;
• substances containing sulfur;
• paper or cardboard containers.

Jewelry needs to be cleaned periodically. There are several methods:

• Dilute ammonia with water in a ratio of 1:10. Place the silver in the solution for 15 minutes. Then remove and rinse in clean water, and finally wipe with a soft cloth;
• pour 50 g of soda into 1 liter of water and throw in a piece of foil. Place the products in the solution and boil them. Then rinse and dry;
• Pour 100 g of citric acid into 500 ml of water. Immerse the decorations and boil them for 20–30 minutes. Then rinse and dry;
• buy Johnson “Silver Quick” or Leuchtturm liquids in jewelry stores. Immerse the silver in them for a few minutes, then rinse and wipe.

If the jewelry has inlay, then such methods can harm it. In this case, it is better to contact jewelers.

Transition to the metric assay system

Really major changes occurred in 1927, when Russia switched from the old spool system to the new metric system. At that time, a similar system was already in operation in Germany and soon promised to become an international standard.

Unlike the spool system, which is tied to an exclusively Russian measure of weight - the spool, the metric system allows you to determine the proportion of precious metal in the alloy. For example, a 585-grade alloy contains 585 g of pure precious metal and 415 g of impurities, respectively, per 1000 g of alloy. In this case, the metal sample is indicated on the product with three numbers, and not two, as with the spool system.

The transition to the metric system was not the only new thing in 1927. A new brand appeared, which depicted the head of a worker with a hammer. It is quite natural, given the dramatic political changes in the country and the rise to power of the Soviets.

Tips for choosing silver jewelry

Silver jewelry, although an inexpensive accessory, can look very impressive if chosen correctly.

Some tips for choosing them:

• You need to buy from trusted stores. The product must have a clearly visible sample and a sealed tag;
• You must first try on the product. If this is a ring, then you need to know the exact size;
• silver is especially suitable for fair skin, blue or gray eyes, black or platinum hair;
• If there is an official event, a business meeting, or a trip to the beach, then silver items are preferable.

Of the stones, white metal is best combined with emerald, sapphire, lapis lazuli, agate, amethyst, onyx, and malachite. But it is not friendly with zircon, amber and tourmaline.

Reviews

My grandmother gave me a ring with a red stone that looked like a ruby. The test on it is interesting - 873, I didn’t see any stars nearby. Worn for evaluation, jewelers did not determine the type of stone. Some special analysis is needed. A very mysterious ring, but beautiful. It is clear that the metal is silver.

Anastasia R., Lviv

Maria P. g, Leningrad

We have a whole collection left over from my grandmother at home. Her grandfather often gave her silver jewelry. They were highly valued. Even today I wear some, and the rings look solid. We sold one of the jewelry, so the price was the same as for a new one, but simpler in composition. I'm pleasantly surprised. I will save the rest of the things for my children. Although they say that it is better to invest money not in jewelry, but in investment coins and bars, jewelry 875 with a star will also be appreciated, for sure.

Once I saw a very beautiful thing - a silver glass holder with a star. I just collect unusual things from that time. I bought it right away without even checking to see if it was precious. This thing was expensive, but it looked great. It was not even a pity to invest money.

Nikolay P. g, Moscow