Sterling silver is the highest quality of silver used in modern jewellery. It means that 92.5% of the metal is pure silver. The other 7.5% is a combination of copper and other metals to give it strength and shine. It is possible to get jewellery in a higher % silver but silver higher than Sterling’s 92.5% is softer and more pliable and tends to have a less polished finish so is not as strong or long lasting.