Mysterious 975 standard, what kind of metal, gold or silver: features of the alloy, pros and cons, cost of 1 gram

Precious metals have always been and remain the best investment for the future. Regimes, money, and the priority of currencies changed, but the demand for gold and silver clearly never fell. Moreover, prices for precious metals in general often surprise and make you think about their relevance. So, the price of 925 sterling silver per gram in 2022 is so different depending on the purpose of its acquisition or delivery that the consumer should understand how much 925 sterling silver costs, because it is the most common and makes up about 80% of other samples.

It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of how much a gram of 925 silver costs, since its price is determined based on the general situation on the London exchange. And it changes daily, depending on economic indicators around the world.

Noble metal silver. The concept of a sample. Why is silver diluted with ligatures?

Silver is a malleable and fusible element that is part of the group of precious metals. This group includes gold, platinum, and five other platinum-class metals.

Lunar metal is considered a symbol of purity, is a universal material for creating amulets and religious paraphernalia, and has unique bactericidal properties.

Silver is a soft material, so it is not used “pure” in jewelry. The precious metal is alloyed with various impurities, which change the final characteristics of the entire alloy. Such additives are called ligatures. Their addition can change the color of the alloy, increase hardness, wear resistance, and improve casting properties.

Most often, silver is alloyed with copper, zinc, cadmium, nickel, and less often with platinum and gold.

The sample of a precious metal reports the amount of noble material in relation to the entire composition of the product. For example, if a silver ring is marked “925,” it means that 92.5% of the entire piece of jewelry is pure silver, with the remainder being various impurities.

Recommendations for care, cleaning and storage

Silver is a more active metal than inert gold and darkens faster. Simple recommendations will help preserve the appearance of precious items:

1. Jewelry should not be stored in damp areas; it is better to avoid contact with water. It is better to remove jewelry when swimming or cleaning.
2. You should not expose your jewelry to cosmetics. When playing sports, it is better to remove rings, chains and bracelets - sweat has a negative effect on the metal.
3. Products must be stored in separate cases: boxes or bags.
4. Silver items must be cleaned regularly. To do this, you can use soap, special pastes for processing jewelry, and a soft cloth, such as suede. Do not use toothbrushes or aggressive cleaning products.

Mysterious sample 975

What does 975 silver or gold mean if global standards do not include such a concept?

Most likely, the 975 marking on lunar metal is nothing more than 925 silver. The number 7 may have been poorly printed or erased over time. This is especially true for antique products. It is likely that over many years the second number on the surface of the decoration simply acquired a resemblance to a seven.

The situation is similar with 875 precious metal. On antique items it is easy to confuse the numbers 8 and 9.

As for gold, the metric value of 375 can be taken as the number 975.

Russian GOST includes the following gold alloys: Z75, 500, 58Z, 585, 750, 916, 958, 999. Therefore, if the seller assures you that the jewelry is genuine 975 gold, you can be sure that this is a fake.

You can check the authenticity of the precious metal yourself. Try dropping iodine onto an inconspicuous part of the product. Real silver will quickly darken. The formation of plaque or the complete absence of any reaction will indicate a fake.

Contact with iodine also darkens the solar metal. Lightening the stain is only possible on fake products.

Iodine for checking the authenticity of silver

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Author of the article: Klavdiya Treskova

Consultant, author Popovich Anna

Financial author Olga Pikhotskaya

1. Lyudmila
   12/15/2021 at 01:11 Where to invest money?
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What does the mark look like?

The stamp on silver should look like this: first, the state inspection code is placed, then the mark of the assay certificate, and then the digital designation of the sample.

The state inspection code indicates the territory where the product was branded.

The mark of the assay certificate on the territory of Russia looks like an imprint of the profile of a woman in a kokoshnik. If in front of you is a product from the times of the USSR, then the sign will look like a five-pointed star or a worker’s head.

All alloys containing at least 30% precious metal are subject to branding.

All information about a product made of lunar metal must be inscribed in a figure shaped like a barrel. Information about gold products is inscribed in a figure resembling a spatula.

Dynamics of the silver rate in the Bank of Russia from 2010 to 2022

Investing in an impersonal metal account brings profit even when the official exchange rate of the national currency falls. The price of 1 ounce of silver and other precious metals is set by the London Stock Exchange. The Bank of Russia converts the troy ounce into grams and publishes the discount price on its website in Russian rubles. When the ruble exchange rate depreciates, the price of silver in rubles rises, regardless of the price set on the London Stock Exchange.

If you sell silver with compulsory medical insurance at a time when the Russian ruble exchange rate is falling, the transaction will bring additional income. And if the dollar exchange rate falls with a simultaneous increase in the price in dollars by 1 gram or 1 ounce of silver, the compulsory medical insurance goes to a loss. But a rise in the Russian ruble could result in a loss, even if the price of silver rises.

The dynamics of the discount price of silver in Russia, according to the Central Bank, over 10 years looks like this:

Over 10 years, the price of silver has increased 2.2 times. Silver has maintained a steady rise over the past 5 years. Over the summer of 2022, the price of the precious metal increased by 29%, which was the most dynamic increase in the last 37 years. While gold over the same time added 13%, and platinum - 14%.

Demand for silver is driven most by the industrial sector. The most important consumers of metal are China and the USA. Trade wars between these powers could lead to a decrease in demand, but most likely short-term. Leaders will restore or redistribute sales markets. Therefore, it is possible to consider silver as a long-term investment.

If you want to try other investment programs and decide to diversify your portfolio, then direct part of the funds to an individual investment account, brokerage account, deposit, entrust the management of a management company or invest in mutual funds and microfinance organizations.

about the author

Klavdiya Treskova - higher education with qualification “Economist”, with specializations “Economics and Management” and “Computer Technologies” at PSU. She worked in a bank in positions from operator to acting. Head of the Department for servicing private and corporate clients. Every year she successfully passed certifications, education and training in banking services. Total work experience in the bank is more than 15 years. [email protected]

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Table: popular silver samples, their use

The provided digital designations for silver samples according to Russian GOST: 800, 830, 875, 925, 960, 999.

Depending on the purity of the alloy, lunar metal is used to create a wide variety of objects. Let's look at the most popular samples in the table below.

Some differences

Quite often on the market you can find Chinese-made 925 silver products, which are not very different from Russian ones, but cost much less (approximately from 40 to 100 rubles per gram).

This may be alarming to some, but in fact this price is the result of the value of currencies on the Asian market. Essentially, there are no differences except one. When purchasing, you need to carefully look at the stones, if any. There are often situations when they turn out to be fake. It would not be superfluous to ask for documents for the product to review and verify its authenticity. Another important feature is the location of the stamp - for a genuine product, for example, earrings, it should be on the clasp.

925 sterling silver made in Italy is quite expensive, but is completely worth the investment. This price is determined by sophisticated technology, very good quality, as well as a unique and interesting design. Again, there are no special differences between Russian and Italian metal, but the processing method (galvanic), which gives silver an attractive cold shine, as well as physical characteristics, significantly affects its price.

Expensive metals, as well as jewelry that can be made from them, have always been in demand on the market, and, without a doubt, will always be so.

Table: gold hallmarks popular in the jewelry world

To find out how much gold is in the most popular alloys, you can use the table:

Where can you buy jewelry from 975 standard

Jewelry with such markings cannot be found even in private workshops. It is possible that this alloy can be made to order by a professional jeweler, but then the question arises about the feasibility of such a request.

On the Internet you can come across many advertisements for the sale of various 975 class products. Such advertisements are placed by scammers or people who accidentally made a mistake.

If a jewelry boutique tries to sell you a product with this marking, feel free to ask the seller for a certificate of conformity.

Often they try to sell jewelry with the 975 mark secondhand. This is where the highest risk of encountering a fake is.

Silver rings with precious stones

Section question - answer

Is 975 silver good or not?

Expert opinion

Pribrezhny Gennady Valentinovich

Jeweler 6th category

It is impossible to judge whether the 975 marking is good or bad, since, alas, it does not exist. It is often mistaken for grade 375 gold or grade 875 and 925 lunar metal. These alloys have individual advantages, thanks to which they were able to become generally recognized.

How to find out if 925 sample is fake or not?

Expert opinion

Grishanov Mikhail Petrovich

Jeweler, director of the Grishanov and Co. workshop

The best solution would be to visit a jewelry workshop or pawnshop. You are most likely misreading the stigma, which may have become blurred over time.

Possible impurities

Almost any metal in its natural state has a certain amount of some impurity. Their presence directly affects various physical characteristics, and this also affects the cost. Impurities affecting silver:

1. Nickel. If it is contained less than 1%, the density of the alloy will increase; if it is more than 2.5%, the metal will become very brittle.
2. Tin. It can reduce the melting point, but when it is more than 9%, the alloy will be brittle.
3. Lead. This metal is considered harmful, so people usually try to avoid its presence.
4. Aluminum. If it is more than 5%, the final alloy will become very brittle. The acceptable value is less than 5%.
5. Zinc and cadmium. These metals are added to make solder. This alloy is used for repairing or soldering individual elements of jewelry. Also, the presence of zinc and cadmium reduces the melting point.
6. Silicon. You can add a maximum of 1.5%. Otherwise, the metal will lose strength.
7. Carbon. This is a harmful impurity that is usually disposed of. This element makes the alloy very brittle.
8. Phosphorus and sulfur also degrade the quality of the alloy.

Electrorefining is a process by which silver is purified in an industrial setting. The method involves suspending the metal in an electrolyte bath containing silver nitrate. A silver alloy is used for the cathode, and titanium or pure metal is used for the anode. After electrolysis, pure silver remains on the cathode, and impurities remain in the space, which is filled with fiberglass.