Silver has been used to make jewellery since ancient times, but the exploration of continents in the western hemisphere uncovered more productive silver mines than Europeans had ever seen. More silver has been mined and used since the late 1700's than in all prior centuries combined.

What is Sterling Silver?
Silver is a soft metal in its pure form, too soft to be used for jewellery and other items, so it's mixed with other metals to make it more durable. A popular silver mixture, called an alloy, is known as sterling silver or 925 silver. The 925 denotes that the purity is 92.5% silver