Silver Purity Explained: Understanding Fineness and Authenticity

Silver purity is typically expressed in fineness, indicating the percentage of pure silver in an alloy. For example, 999 fineness means 999 parts out of 1000 are pure silver.

Fine Silver (99.9% Pure) contains 99.9% silver content with minimal impurities and is suitable primarily for investment coins and bars rather than everyday jewellery due to being very soft.

Sterling Silver (92.5% Pure), the most common grade used in jewellery, contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper.

When buying silver, one must consider the base price, making charges, and a 3% GST on top of it. The authenticity of the product can be verified by checking the BIS logo and purity grade, such as 925 for sterling silver or 999 for fine silver.