Expert review: Drescher Éva — owner/manager of DRESCHER Jewellery®, qualified gold, silver and gemstone jewellery appraiser with professional jewellery-store management and sales experience.
If you've been shopping for silver jewellery, you've probably seen the number "925" stamped somewhere on a piece, or written in a product description. Here's what it actually means, how hallmarking works, and what to look for before you buy.
What Does 925 Mean on Jewellery?
925 means the piece is made from sterling silver: 925 parts silver per 1,000 parts of the alloy, or 92.5% pure silver. The remaining 7.5% is made up of other metals — usually copper — added to the silver.
Is 925 Sterling Silver Real Silver?
Yes. 925 sterling silver is genuine silver, not an imitation or a coating. Every DRESCHER Jewellery® piece is crafted from genuine 925 sterling silver — hallmarked and rhodium-plated, never silver-plated base metal.
Why Isn't Sterling Silver 100% Pure Silver?
Pure silver on its own is too soft to hold its shape in everyday jewellery. According to the Sheffield Assay Office, gold, silver and platinum are too soft to use alone for jewellery, cutlery and similar goods, and are always alloyed with copper or other metals to create an alloy with properties better suited to the piece — strong and workable, while still attractive. That's why sterling silver exists: it keeps silver's beauty while making it durable enough for a ring, bracelet or pair of earrings you'll actually wear.
What Is a Silver Hallmark?
A hallmark is not the same thing as the 925 stamp, and the two are easy to confuse.
- A fineness mark (like "925") states the metal content. On its own, it's a claim, not independent proof.
- A hallmark, applied by an authorised assay office, is an independent, third-party verification that the metal content is what it claims to be.
- Under the International Hallmarking Convention (the "Vienna Convention," in force since 1975), qualifying precious-metal articles may carry the Common Control Mark (CCM) together with other required marks, including an authorised Assay Office mark and a registered responsibility mark. Depending on the type of CCM used, the fineness and precious-metal identification may be incorporated into or accompany the CCM. The Convention's own technical annex sets out this structure directly: together, these marks identify who produced or imported the article (a registered responsibility mark), who controlled it (the mark of the assay office), and the article's precious-metal content (a fineness mark in Arabic numerals). A responsibility mark identifies whoever registered the item and submitted it for hallmarking — not necessarily the manufacturer.
Every DRESCHER Jewellery® piece is hallmarked, rhodium-plated 925 sterling silver, with the fineness mark stamped directly onto the piece itself — usually somewhere discreet, such as inside a ring, near a clasp, on a pendant bail or on an earring post.
Does a 925 Stamp Prove That Jewellery Is Genuine?
Not entirely, on its own. Because it's impossible to judge precious metal content by sight alone, an unmarked or unverified "925" stamp can be applied to jewellery that doesn't actually meet that standard — which is exactly the problem independent hallmarking exists to solve. A 925 stamp is useful information, but it should not automatically be treated as independent verification of fineness. Where hallmarking applies, an official hallmark provides a stronger, independently controlled indication of precious-metal fineness.
Sterling Silver vs Silver-Plated Jewellery
The two are not the same thing:
- Sterling silver (925) is a silver alloy containing 92.5% silver throughout the sterling-silver component — not merely a silver coating over base metal.
- Silver-plated jewellery is a base metal with a thin layer of silver over the top; over time, that layer can wear through to the base metal underneath.
DRESCHER Jewellery® works exclusively in genuine 925 sterling silver — we don't offer silver-plated base-metal jewellery.
What Is Rhodium-Plated Sterling Silver?
Rhodium plating is a thin layer of rhodium applied over sterling silver. Rhodium belongs to the platinum group of metals, alongside platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium — one of the rarer metals used in jewellery. According to the Société Chimique de France, rhodium is a hard, highly reflective metal that is not attacked by most acids, which is part of why it's well suited to electroplating.
Because rhodium is harder and more tarnish-resistant than silver on its own, the plating gives a piece a bright, mirror-like finish and adds a protective layer over the silver beneath. Every DRESCHER Jewellery® silver piece is finished with rhodium plating as standard — it isn't an optional upgrade.
Like any plated finish, rhodium plating can gradually wear thinner over years of frequent wear — this is a normal characteristic of rhodium-plated jewellery, not a fault, and professional re-plating can restore the original finish if it's ever needed. For day-to-day care, our Rhodium-Plated Silver Care guide has the specifics, and our guide on why rhodium-plated jewellery can turn yellow or dull explains the chemistry behind it.
How Can You Check Silver Jewellery Before Buying?
A few practical things to look for:
- An official hallmark alongside the fineness stamp, where hallmarking applies — not the fineness stamp on its own.
- Clear material information from the seller — sterling silver should be described as such, not vaguely as "silver."
- Where the piece is finished — rhodium plating should be stated, not assumed.
Every DRESCHER Jewellery® piece is hallmarked, rhodium-plated 925 sterling silver, backed by our Registered EU Trademark. If you have questions about a specific piece, our FAQ covers material and authenticity questions in detail, and our Jewellery Care guide has more on keeping it looking its best.
Ready to see it for yourself? Browse our silver earrings, bracelets, pendants and necklaces — every piece hallmarked, rhodium-plated 925 sterling silver.
Sources:
- International Hallmarking Convention — hallmarkingconvention.org
- Société Chimique de France — Rhodium
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Platinum group