Most people wearing a sterling silver ring have no idea how far it has travelled — or that the silver in it probably came out of the ground as a by-product of mining for something else entirely. Here is the full journey, from rock to hallmark.
Where does silver come from?
Silver rarely turns up as shiny nuggets. Most of it is locked inside ores — minerals such as acanthite (a silver sulphide) — or hidden within the ores of other metals. Galena, the main ore of lead, is often rich in silver, which is why more than half of the world's newly mined silver is actually a by-product of mining for lead, zinc, copper and gold. Dedicated silver mines are the exception, not the rule.
Mexico has long been the world's largest silver producer, with Peru and China also among the leading sources.
How is silver mined and refined?
Ore is blasted and hauled from underground or open-pit mines
Rock is milled into a fine powder to free the metal-bearing minerals
Froth flotation floats the valuable minerals away from waste rock
Smelting and electrolytic refining produce silver of 99.9% purity
Fine silver is alloyed to sterling and worked into jewellery
Silver recovered alongside lead is separated using the Parkes process, in which molten zinc is added to the lead — silver dissolves into the zinc far more readily and can be skimmed off. The final step is electrolytic refining, which deposits silver of at least 99.9% purity, ready to be cast into grain or bars.
Why is jewellery made from sterling silver instead of pure silver?
Pure (fine) silver is too soft for daily wear — rings would bend and clasp springs would fail. So jewellers alloy it: sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal, almost always copper, which adds strength without dulling the colour. That 92.5% is exactly what the 925 hallmark means — see our guide to jewellery stamps decoded.
| Silver fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chemical symbol | Ag, from the Latin argentum |
| Melting point | 961.8 °C |
| Conductivity | The best electrical conductor of any metal |
| Reflectivity | One of the most reflective metals known — why polished silver shines so brightly |
| Jewellery standard | 925 sterling: 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper |
What is silver used for besides jewellery?
Jewellery and silverware are only part of the story. Because silver is the best electrical conductor of any metal, it is used in electronics, in the conductive paste on solar panels, and in high-quality mirrors. Silver also has well-documented antimicrobial properties and appears in medical dressings. Industrial demand is one reason silver is mined at such scale despite so little of it starting life in a dedicated silver mine.
Why does silver tarnish, and does it mean poor quality?
Tarnish is not a sign of fake or low-grade silver — quite the opposite. Silver reacts with traces of sulphur compounds in the air, forming a thin dark layer of silver sulphide. It polishes off completely. We cover the fix in detail in does sterling silver tarnish?
Sterling silver at Micoryan
2ct Moissanite Halo Ring — 925 sterling silver
Infinity Moissanite Ring — 925 sterling silver
Browse the full rings collection or the moissanite collection — most pieces are crafted in 925 sterling silver.
The short version
Silver is mostly mined as a by-product of other metals, concentrated by flotation, refined electrolytically to 99.9% purity, then alloyed with a little copper to make the durable 925 sterling standard used in jewellery. Tarnish is chemistry, not poor quality — and it always polishes off.