Pure silver is bright white in color and is the most reflective of the precious metals. However, it is soft and prone to scratching, and so silver is alloyed with harder metals to improve its durability. Sterling silver is the world’s most popular silver alloy. It consists of 92.5% silver combined with other metals (mainly copper). Ideal for jewelry, sterling silver preserves the color and lustre of pure silver, while making it considerably more hardwearing.