925 silver vs pure silver vs silver plated: what to buy

On a shop counter or a phone screen, all three can look identical. The difference is what is underneath the surface.

Pure or fine silver (999) is about 99.9% silver. Sterling silver (925) is 92.5% silver with the rest usually copper. Silver plated jewellery is a base metal, often brass, copper or a zinc alloy, with a very thin layer of silver deposited on top. Plated pieces may contain almost no silver by weight.

Think about each one across the things that matter after you have bought it, not just on the day you buy it.

• Hardness: 999 is soft and dents easily; 925 is firm enough for chains, clasps and stone settings; plated pieces take their strength from the base metal.
• Tarnish: 999 tarnishes slowly; 925 tarnishes a little faster because of the copper; plated pieces tarnish and can also wear through to a different colour underneath.
• Cleaning: 999 and 925 can be polished again and again; plating is thin, so heavy polishing can rub it away.
• Resale and melt value: 999 and 925 both have silver value; plated jewellery has very little.
• Price: plated is the cheapest; 925 and 999 are priced partly on silver weight and partly on design and making.

Families in India often buy 999 silver as coins on Dhanteras or Diwali, as pooja items, or as a store of value. In these cases softness is not a problem because the piece is not being bent, clasped or knocked against a desk every day.

For jewellery, 999 shows up in some traditional heavy pieces like certain anklets or bangles, where thickness compensates for softness. For a fine chain or a pendant with a set stone, though, 999 is a poor choice. Claws can open and chains can stretch.

If you want something to wear to work, to college or every evening, sterling is the sensible middle. It holds detail, keeps stones secure, and takes years of wear while still being real silver you can clean and repolish.

Sterling is also the base for most gold-plated silver and rhodium-plated silver. If the plating fades someday, you still own a silver piece rather than a piece of brass. This is why pendants like the ones in Varaha's 925 silver collection are made on a sterling base even when they carry a gold finish.

Plated jewellery has a place. If you need a statement look for one wedding function, a costume for a college fest, or a trend piece you will not wear next year, plating keeps costs low. Just treat it as fashion jewellery rather than as silver.

Where people get disappointed is when plated pieces are sold, or bought, as if they were silver. Signs to watch for include listings that say 'silver colour', 'silver finish' or 'German silver' without a purity number. German silver, despite the name, is usually a copper, nickel and zinc alloy with no silver in it.

If you are still unsure, match your situation to one of these:

• A pendant you will wear daily for years: 925 sterling.
• A gift for someone who likes gold but has a modest budget: gold-plated 925 sterling.
• A Dhanteras purchase you want to keep as savings: 999 coin or bar.
• A bold look for a single sangeet or party: plated or imitation jewellery.
• Toe rings or anklets that rub against the ground and footwear: a solid silver piece, either 925 or a thicker traditional alloy, rather than plated.

Ask what the purity is, whether the piece is solid or plated, and whether there is a stamp or hallmark on it. Ask what the chain is made of, since a sterling pendant is sometimes paired with a plated chain. A seller who answers these plainly, and who offers returns, is usually one you can trust with your money.