Most people have a common misconception that sterling silver is the same as pure silver. However, sterling silver is just a silver alloy. While pure silver or fine silver is usually characterized as 99.9% pure, sterling silver contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper or metal. Since pure silver is too soft for use in creating materials, sterling silver is the one preferred by most manufacturers of silver products. This is because sterling silver is incorporated with a base metal that hardens the resulting alloy for casting into shapes that it should retain. Sterling silver is marked at the bottom of the piece using a stamp. Depending on the country and manufacturer, the shape of the stamp differs.
The creation of fine tableware is the most common use of sterling silver. Tableware includes knives, spoons, forks, tea and coffee service sets, silver trays, and other utensils. Most sets of formal silverware include several various types of forks that are generally used in table-settings or if the meal calls for such utensils. Say, a seafood fork is usually small and three-pronged for use in clams and oysters among others. On the other hand, spoons can also vary in terms of size, from tiny demitasse to soup spoons and spoons for larger servings that complete the entire collection.
The most common reason sterling silver oxidizes is because of its contact with air. Like gold, pure silver is unreceptive to oxidation or tarnish on the surface. On the other hand, the alloy metal in sterling silver attracts oxidation. If you try to rub your finger on an evidently shiny sterling silver piece, you may notice a dull smudge on your skin. This indicates that the sterling silver approaches its oxidation stage. As such, you need to know the methods of taking care of your sterling silver.
If you want your sterling silver to retain its luminousness, wipe it with cotton cloth as often as you could. If you will not be using it for a long time, you should still keep it clean through buffing regularly. On the other hand, if your sterling silver obtains severe tarnishes, you can use a polishing paste to return its glow. However, you should also be cautious when applying the polishing paste and elbow grease because too much of it might ruin your sterling silver all the more.
You can efficiently take care of you sterling silver by lining a dishpan filled with hot water with tin foil. Add some baking soda and salt, about two teaspoons of each. Put your sterling silver piece into the dishpan touching the tin foil. You will be able to see that the tarnishes are being pulled off from the silver to the tin foil. On the other hand, if the tarnish is severe, you will see it flaking off from you sterling silver and floating into the water. Just let you sterling silver set in the dishpan for no more than five minutes. After which, rinse it thoroughly with cold water and dry.
