Sterling Silver

Fine silver is 99.9% pure; it is soft and malleable and therefore often unsuitable for jewellery and other precious wares. Humans have been alloying silver for centuries - mixing pure silver with other metals to fine tune its properties and imbue it with qualities that make it appropriate for many different uses.

Sterling silver is 92.5% fine silver, mixed with 7.5% of other metals including copper. It is the copper content which allows it to develop its dark patina over time by a process known as oxidisation. This can be easily removed with a silver cloth or polish, but many choose to let the oxide develop and give character to their pieces.

All of our sterling silver amulets are assessed and hallmarked at the historic Dublin castle - home of the Irish Assy Office. You’ll find the finesse of the alloy, the date of assay and our sponsor’s mark on all of our pieces. (A magnifying glass can come in very useful when searching for yours - hallmarks can be very small and use a special code made up of symbols and letters!)

How to read a hallmark

Please note: There is no nickel content in any of our sterling silver, and it is broadly speaking a hypoallergenic precious metal. It is suitable for the vast majority of people. However, if you have a very high sensitivity to metals please make sure that sterling silver is suitable for you before wearing your amulet against your skin.