How silver became a metal of adornment

Silver has worn many hats: currency, tableware, mirrors, even medicine. But the role it has never given up is adornment — the metal we choose to keep close to the skin.

Made to be shaped

Pure silver is wonderfully soft. In a craftsperson's hands that softness is a gift: it can be drawn into fine chain, pressed into delicate filigree, and engraved with detail that holds light beautifully. The same brightness that made silver prized for mirrors is what makes a finished piece glow.

The sterling standard

There is a catch to that softness — pure silver is too soft to survive daily wear. The solution, refined over centuries, is to blend in a little strength.

Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver, with the remaining 7.5% usually copper. That small addition makes the metal durable enough for rings, chains and earrings you can wear again and again, while keeping the warmth and shine of silver intact. It is why you'll see 925 stamped on fine silver jewellery — a quiet promise of quality.

Worn with meaning

Across cultures, silver became more than decoration. It marked occasions, carried blessings, and was passed between generations. To wear silver was — and still is — to wear a little of that history, and a little of the care that went into making it.