Is there 875 gold (stamp with a star) or is it still silver?

From the article you will learn what jewelry with the hallmark 875 is. They can be made of white or yellow metal with a shine. A large number of such things were produced in the USSR and were inherited from our mothers and grandmothers. It is difficult for an inexperienced person to determine from what material jewelry or cutlery is cast.

Some believe that there is 875 gold. Is it really?

What kind of metal is this - gold or silver?

In the Russian metric system, 875 gold does not exist. But there is silver of such a modification that explains the origin of objects on which the number “875” is written.

It is a noble metal with a main component content of 87.5%. The top of the item may be covered with gold, and unscrupulous sellers sometimes try to pass off the jewelry as gold.

Composition and properties

So, products labeled “875” are actually an alloy of the main element (Argentum) with other components. There is no jewelry made from 100% precious metal; a ligature is always added to it to improve its properties, primarily strength. The alloy may include:

• copper is the main element of the alloy;
• nickel;
• platinum.

Modern jewelry is often coated with a layer of rhodium on top to protect it from scratches and enhance shine.

Strength

The strength of 875 is better than that of an alloy with a higher content of the main element. This element itself is soft. An increase in hardness and strength is achieved due to the content of other components in the alloy, most often copper.

Proof 875 with star

On products made from 875 standard, you can sometimes find a star-shaped mark. It looks like this: state code (3), a five-pointed star with a hammer and sickle (symbol of the USSR), and a marker of the sample itself. Such things are valued much higher than with an ordinary marker. But what factors influence the criteria for such an assessment?

In order to answer the question “Proof 875 with a star - what is it?”, you will have to turn to history. This mark appeared in the USSR, and products with it were put into wide circulation from 1958 to 1994. Experts classify most of them as antiques, which significantly increases the cost of these items.

Many silver items bearing the star mark are unique creations long out of mass production. The most popular of them include:

• Ashtrays;
• Glasses;
• Candy bowls;
• Cup holders.

Also, the main reasons for the high price of the star brand are the highest quality of the Soviet 875 standard. In the USSR, there were strict standards for the production of precious alloys, and there was no import of them into the country. Therefore, the entire process of creating jewelry was carefully controlled by the state. Nowadays, the import of precious metals is a very common occurrence, and their quality is not always subject to thorough examination.

What does the mark mean?

The main sign applied to modern silver items is a “barrel” with a number inside, which indicates the purity. Soviet-made items may be marked with a star, and even more ancient ones may have other markings.

To distinguish gold objects from silver, instead of a barrel, they place a brand with the silhouette of a woman in a kokoshnik. Sometimes you can see the marking AU (aurum).

The quality of jewelry is controlled and marked by the Assay Chamber of the Russian Federation. Designations of products manufactured and tested in another country may differ from Russian ones.

Types of sample

Quote: 875 sample is just a myth and a trick in the deck of scammers and unscrupulous sellers. The likelihood of encountering aurum of this sample in the Russian Federation and CIS countries is negligible.

In Russia, the metric system is widespread with a clear nomenclature of samples, with its own system of marks. The gold mark in the Russian Federation looks like an elongated rectangle, the silver one looks like a barrel. Sample list of official nomenclature:

As you can see, 875 aurum is simply absent from the Russian nomenclature: the alloy is not gold, but silver. Argentum hallmarks are different from gold indicators, their nomenclature is as follows: 800, 830, 875, 925, 960, 999. It is easy to notice the presence of the number 875 in the list of argentum hallmarks, which already answers the main question: gold with such hallmarks does not exist in the Russian Federation, The digital designation refers to silver.

How many carats are in this sample?

The carat system is used to determine the amount of pure substance in an alloy along with the metric system. Basically, the karat system is traditionally used in Western countries. 1 carat is 0.2 g.

The mark reflects the content of the main element in the alloy, with 24 carats being taken as 100%.

Below is a table of correspondence between markings in the metric and carat systems.

A foreign-made item marked “21 carats” will precisely correspond to the alloy of the Russian standard 875.

Silver alloy composition

A value of 875 means that the product of this sample is an alloy, where per 1000 parts by weight of the alloy there are 875 g of pure silver and 125 g of impurity metals. Possible impurities are copper, platinum, germanium and silicon. The qualities of a silver alloy, such as color, strength and elasticity, depend on impurities, thus the 875th sample can have different properties.

Thus, the presence of copper strengthens the alloy, platinum changes color (and since platinum is much more expensive than silver, its presence significantly increases the cost of the alloy). Copper, as the cheapest metal, is used as an impurity most often. Silver is soft in nature; copper gives it elasticity and strength.

Differences from 925 standard

Compared to 925, 875 contains less precious metal and more ligatures. Its features are greater hardness and less flexibility.

925 standard products are used mainly for the production of jewelry. It is less susceptible to oxidation, softer and more flexible.

875 variety is suitable for making dishes and cutlery. Due to the lower content of the main element, the price of the items becomes lower.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of the 875th sample include low cost. Using rhodium plating and plating, stylish, beautiful jewelry is obtained. You can flaunt such jewelry at banquets and social events. Low tendency to oxidation, blackening, strength are the positive aspects of the material.

Insufficient ductility and difficulty in processing are the weak points of 875 silver. It is more difficult to create elegant crafts from 875 standard than from sterling. Excessive hardness interferes with fine processing, so 875 silver is more often used in industrial jewelry production.

Application area

875 is one of the most popular modifications of silver. This is mainly the so-called “silverware” - cup holders, spoons and other cutlery, as well as interior items (candlesticks, vases).

Less commonly, jewelry is made from material marked “875”. In the USSR, souvenirs were made from this material:

• ashtrays;
• cigarette cases;
• candy bowls;
• glasses.

Jewelry, products

Jewelry hallmark 875 with a star is widely used for making jewelry, decorative items, and tableware. Pendants, rings, earrings are the most common products made from 875 silver; bracelets and chains are produced much less frequently.

Inexpensive semi-precious stones of natural and artificial origin are used as additional decoration for products: turquoise, amethyst, cubic zirconia, pink and smoky quartz, jasper.

Not only jewelry is made from 875 silver, but also dishes, decorative items, and souvenirs. The metal of this grade is harder than high-grade alloys, so it is well processed and used. Buyers leave positive reviews about 875 silver products.

They are beautiful, practical and, with proper care, durable.

How much does 1 gram of this sample cost in Russia?

Precious metals can be used to preserve and increase capital due to their ever-increasing price. But it is recommended to purchase bullion or special investment coins for these purposes, rather than jewelry: the price of the latter drops immediately after purchase, and with constant wearing and deterioration of appearance, it decreases even more.

In addition, the price of jewelry includes the work of a jeweler, service in a store, and the item itself does not consist of the main element 100% - it contains ligature, stones, etc. In the future, it can be sold or pawned in a pawnshop only at the price of scrap, which is not high.

Silver markings

A silver sample with a star designation is an option for branding jewelry, household and table items on the territory of the Soviet Union. Moreover, the symbol was constantly changing. When there was a change of power, they turned to one or another sign; it could be new (carry a modern meaning at that time) or old (a previously used sample was taken as a basis). The same thing happened with silver. They began to test him as a star in the middle of the 20th century. However, this sign did not take root. It was changed when the Soviet Union collapsed.

The 875 silver standard is not used today, since metal with such proportions (87.5% and 12.5%) is not produced. However, products with a star are still in use. They moved into the antique category, which increased the cost of such items.

Sample 875

History of the hallmark on 875 hallmark

There are several stages in the development of the probing symbol, which is still used today. Among them there is also a star:

• towards the end of the 19th century, a female image was used, with the head turned to the left, the sign was changed 10 years later;
• from 1908 to 1927, the previously accepted image was used - a woman's head, but now it was turned to the right;
• in the year when the metric system was adopted, the standard changed again, at this stage they began to use the head of the worker who holds the hammer;
• the star was introduced in 1958, and once its appearance was changed: the star that rose above the surface of the product was removed, and a variant was introduced that was less noticeable.

Sample 875 with a woman's head ceased to be used in 1994. The Soviet Union had long since collapsed, and it was necessary to change the standards adopted at that time. And they started with a test. They changed the star to the previous symbol - a woman’s head in a kokoshnik, turned to the right.

Why do they fake it?

Sometimes sellers try to pass off products with the mark “875” as gold, because its price is several times higher than the cost of its counterpart. Gilded items, if you do not look at the markings, are very easy to confuse with gold. They try to pass off ordinary silver as white gold, although it differs in a number of external characteristics.

How to distinguish a fake from a genuine product

Even in the store, you must definitely pay attention to the brand applied to the item. To see it better, use a magnifying glass. If there is no mark, it is not a noble metal at all. A large number of scratches may indicate this.

In addition, the seller must have a certificate for the product. Silver is easily recognized by its softness - thin parts can be slightly deformed when pressed. Both in life and in the photo, gold has a more intense shine, while silver has a softer, muted shine.

Recommendations for care and cleaning

Silver is a soft metal that is susceptible to deformation and scratches. It is necessary to carefully care for jewelry, especially gold-plated jewelry. Intense friction damages the thin decorative layer. You can wipe items with suede or a soft cloth.

Items that are worn on the hands (bracelets, rings) are best removed when doing housework and cooking. If the top coating has darkened, you can briefly dip the item in a solution of 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons of 8% vinegar.

How to care

Proper care of silver involves cleaning it regularly. It is best to clean silver jewelry using special liquids and wipes, which are part of the assortment of many jewelry stores.

We advise you to read: Gold of the highest 999 standard

Examples of silver cleaning fluids include:

1. Johnson "Silver Quick".
2. Leuchtturm.

This cleaning method involves immersing the product in the solution for several minutes, due to which they will be completely cleaned.

It is important! Such solutions can only be used for jewelry without inlay.

In addition to the cleaning itself, such solutions cover the products with a thin protective layer that protects the jewelry from oxidation. After this procedure, the products must be rinsed with water and wiped with a soft cloth.

Do not forget about the existence of various folk methods for cleaning silver, which include:

• treatment with a solution of ammonia (concentration 1:10 alcohol with water). The products should be wiped with a soft cloth soaked in the prepared solution;
• using tooth powder, paste or soda;
• cleaning with soda solution (at the rate of 50 grams of soda per 1 liter of hot water);
• using a soap solution (per 1 liter of solution - 1 tablespoon of ammonia).

There are many other folk methods for cleaning silver. All of them are effective to one degree or another. However, when using them, the following must be taken into account:

• silver items inlaid with pearls or amber should never be cleaned using traditional methods;
• any silver items with stones should be cleaned using a weak soap solution that contains 3 drops of ammonia per half a glass of water;
• For silver items without inlay, a cleaning method using washing powder may also be suitable: a container with water must be put on fire, add a little washing powder and put the items in, after 2-3 minutes, after the water boils, they can be removed.

We recommend reading: Gold price in China