Sterling silver denotes what percentage of pure silver?

• A. 75% pure silver
• B. 99% pure silver
• C. 50% pure silver
• D. 92.5% pure silver

Answer: (D)

Sterling silver is an alloy that blends silver with other metals to increase hardness, and its standard fineness is 92.5% silver. The remaining 7.5% is typically copper. This combination gives durability while keeping the familiar silver appearance, so 92.5% pure silver is the right measure for sterling. Higher purity like 99% would be fine silver and softer, while 75% or 50% silver would not meet the sterling standard.