What is Sterling Silver?

For years I have been selling Celtic Jewellery in Blighty's Tuck Store, proudly telling customers that it is made in England from sterling silver. "Sterling silver" is one of those terms that rolls off the tongue with ease and without question or understanding. The words "sterling" and "silver" just seem to go together like "fish" and "chips".

So what exactly is sterling silver? Well, first of all, it is not pure silver. Feel cheated? Don't be. If your beautiful Celtic necklace, or ring, were made of pure silver (or "fine silver" as it is properly known) it would not last very long. Silver, you see, is a very soft metal and quite unsuitable for making wearable jewellery. Sterling silver is an alloy of 92.5% fine silver and (usually) copper.

Unfortunately, alloying silver with copper introduces a small problemette. Fine silver does not react very easily with other chemicals, but the copper component of sterling silver readily reacts with environmental contaminants and causes the alloy to tarnish. Fortunately, the tarnish can be readily removed. Blighty's Celtic Fair brand jewellery can be simply buffed with a soft cloth to restore its lustre.

Incidentally, the origin of the word "sterling" is unclear. We also refer to "pounds sterling" in reference to the currency of the UK. There may be a link there because British coins were once made with silver or silver alloys. There are several theories surrounding the origin of the word "sterling" but none stands above the others in authenticity.

All we know is that the production of sterling silver goes back almost as far as the history of the Celts. So, when you wear your Celtic jewellery you are celebrating ancient traditions in both the style of the piece and the metals from which it was made. And what a great Christmas gift a nice Celtic weave or claddagh pendant makes!