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Silver is a beautiful white precious metal that due to its properties has a wide range of use. The most commonly known is perhaps jewellery, cutlery and decorative objects, but it is also used in photography, electrical appliances and medical substances.
If the silver is to be used for jewellery or cutlery, it has to be mixed with other metals to become hard enough. In jewellery we use 925/1000 silver. The rest is mainly copper. This is what we call sterling silver. In Norway sterling silver jewellery has to be marked with the symbol 925 in addition to the goldsmith’s personal symbol. The silver alloy that is used in cutlery consists of 830/1000 silver. This is because the silver needs to be even harder. As r result of the lower silver content, the alloy gets a little bit more yellowish in the colour. To make the cutlery look nicer, it is silver plated. This thin layer is pure silver. Cutlery also have to be marked, with the 803 symbol and the factory’s own symbol. The laws concerning the symbols on precious metal objects differ from country to country. In the UK for instance, the goods are not marked by the goldsmith or factory, but by an external assay office. Silver is a precious metal, and will therefore not react with the oxygen in the air (oxidation). Still we experience that silver objects are getting tan after some time. This is because it reacts with the sulfur in the air. We call this tarnishing. There are a few things we can do so slow this process and keep the objects in good shape. Silver cutlery that are frequently used will tarnish slower Silver spoons must not be left in the salt, because it may erode. Do not use silver spoons for eggs. The sulfur will tarnish the silver, and the eggs will taste funny. Do not keep your silver jewellery in the bathroom. The heat and humidity will make it tarnish faster. Cosmetics may tarnish silver. Put on creams and perfumes first, wait a while, then put on the jewellery. Take off all jewellery at night, and put them in a soft textile bag or jewellery box, apart from eachother. If the silver is tarnished there are several ways to remove it. There are several products on the market, for instance dips and wet and dry cloths that contain chemicals that remove tarnish. Talk to the jeweler about it. Maybe there is something about your jewellery that may cause it to be ruined if soaked in a dip. Pearls and opals for instance, must not be dipped. Ailin Roelvaag 2009 Bibliography 
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