When it comes to jewelry, authenticity is important (especially if you have allergies or plan to spend a good chunk of money on a piece of jewelry). If you’re ever purchased or received a piece of jewelry with a “925 Italy” stamp on it, you may be wondering what exactly this means.
We’ll be breaking down everything you need to know about the 925 Italy stamp, including what it means in 925 Italy silver as well as gold jewelry.
What Does 925 Italy Mean On Silver?
First, remember the term 925 Italy silver is a genuine type of silver. It just means it has 92.5% pure silver from Italy. The name is self-explanatory is what defines its meaning. Now you will find these numbers only on sterling silver.
Like all the other sterling silver, you will have additional metals to make up for the 7.5% is made using copper, platinum, zinc, and palladium. These metals will help make it harder and manageable.
Remember the pure silver, whether Italian, French or just the regular silver is very soft, therefore hard to mold and shape.
The factories use these terminologies to emphasize the uniqueness of the metal and jewels. And you could understand it’s because of the measures in place to make sure Italians sell the best quality sterling silver.
This article aims to give you some much-needed information on what 925 Italy means on a silver necklace.
Are you looking for a new pair of 925 Italy silver earrings or a necklace? When shopping for jewelry, you have to put in more consideration rather than just looking for style.
You have to ensure the product is genuine as many sellers pass on 925 Italy silver-plated jewelry as sterling.
You have to ensure the product is genuine as many sellers pass on 925 Italy silver-plated jewelry as sterling.
Gold Purity and Karatage
If you’re shopping for solid gold pieces, you’ll want to avoid pieces with a 925 stamp. Gold karats are illustrated in three-digit numbers containing parts per thousand. As a guide, use these popular karat markings and their values in parts per thousand.
Gold karat markings and purity:
24K = 999 / 99.9%
22K = 917 / 91.7%
20K = 833 / 83.3%
18K = 750 / 75%
14K = 583 / 58.3%
10K = 417 / 41.7%
Is 925 Gold Worth Anything?
That depends. Again, “925 gold” doesn’t actually exist. This hallmark only indicates the purity of the sterling 925 Italy silver base beneath the gold.
Knowing this, you should be aware that gold jewelry with a 925 hallmark or stamp is typically going to be less valuable than solid gold jewelry. You want to keep this in mind if you’re buying jewelry as an investment.
However, some types of gold-plated jewelry are nevertheless more valuable than others. This is partially due to the fact that different types of gold-plated jewelry can have different bases. The thickness of the layer of gold atop the base can also vary from one piece to another.
For example, if a piece of gold jewelry isn’t solid but also doesn’t have the 925 hallmarks, that may indicate that the base is made of copper, brass, or nickel. This makes it less valuable than a piece with a sterling silver base. Additionally, if your skin comes into contact with these materials (which could occur if a thin gold base wears down over time), you may have an allergic reaction. As such, if you’re buying gold-plated jewelry, you might make a point of looking for a piece with the 925 hallmarks.
What Are the Benefits of 925 Gold Jewelry?
Again, if a piece of jewelry has a 925 hallmark stamp on it, you can be fairly confident it’s not solid gold. However, the appearance of authentic 925 gold jewelry is often very similar to that of solid gold. Most people can’t tell the difference.
This might give you a reason to buy a piece with the 925 hallmarks instead of buying a solid gold piece. Once more, its value won’t be as great, but that might not matter to you if you have no plans to sell your jewelry in the future. If you only care about a piece of jewelry’s appearance, but you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford to buy something that consists of solid gold, a piece with the 925 hallmarks may be an acceptable substitute. It will typically cost less but look remarkably similar to the “real thing.”
Remember, allergies might also be a concern. If you’re allergic to materials sometimes used as bases for gold-plated jewelry, naturally, you won’t be able to wear a piece made with those materials once the base has worn down a little. Because gold-plated jewelry with such bases also doesn’t tend to be valuable, you won’t be able to sell such a piece for much money either, making it essentially useless to you. Jewelry with the 925 hallmarks, on the other hand, likely won’t cause an allergic reaction and will be more valuable.
How Much Is Sterling 925 Italy Silver Worth?
It’s not cheap, that’s for sure. Based on Money Metals Exchange, the price of 925 Italy silver is, as of writing, $16.05 an ounce or $516.02 per kilogram. If you’re buying jewelry, it may depend on the size of the necklace, chain, bracelet, or ring, as well as the jewels and stones set into it. There’s also the labor and the typical price range that comes with the brand. In short, expect to spend at least hundreds of dollars.
I found a 5-piece sterling 925 Italy silver utensil setting in Bloomingdale’s worth over $1,300 as well as a butter knife worth over $200. I checked Tiffany & Co. and found a 20-inch sterling silver chain necklace with no gems or precious stones that cost $3,400.
Caring for 925 Silver
Once you’ve purchased your 925 sterling silver product, you can bet that it can last you a lifetime and can even be passed down generations. It’s why families tend to pass down utensils, serving items, and even jewelry – because they’re made of silver that’s genuine and can withstand the test of time. However, these items have also survived partly due to the way they’re maintained.
Polishing Sterling Silver
Some sterling silver products will face constant wear and tear or exposure to air over others. Wearing your favorite 925 Italy silver bracelet, for example, will get around more than, say, the fancy silverware your family keeps in an airtight cabinet and never brings it out except for the most special family occasions.
In such cases where your 925 Italy silver is exposed to air, you need to have it polished every now and then. Eventually, silver will go dark and eventually turn black. With a clean cloth and some silver polishing liquid from hardware and specialty stores, it will look as good as new.
Be careful when handling jewelry though, as the polish may tarnish the details or the gemstones. If it is too expensive to risk, have it cleaned by professional jewelers or send it back to the manufacturer for cleaning. Some jewelry stores offer cleaning and restoring services for the products they sell.
Conclusion
By learning what 925 Italy means and knowing how to identify real sterling 925 Italy silver jewelry against fake ones, you save yourself a world of agony as well as your hard-earned money. Now that you know what you are looking for, proceed to go shopping for your next jewelry addition to your collection.
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Sophie
Sophie is a fashion&jewelry lover. She is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that helps thousands of small businesses to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. She is a true jewelry expert and she will keep sharing some information you are looking for.
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