- Silver
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A metal and an element in the periodic table. Like copper and gold, pure silver is very soft, so is often mixed with other metals to make it stronger. The most common silver alloy used in jewelry is sterling silver, which is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Silver wire and sheets can also be hardened by being hammered. Sterling silver jewelry may be plated with a very thin coat of fine silver to give it a shinier finish. Silver is often mixed into colored gold alloys to make them paler and harder.
