Is sterling silver better than silver? If so, why? quora.com

Sterling Silver and Silver are terms that are often used interchangeably, but they do not always mean the same thing. Yes, Sterling Silver is better than Silver. Pure silver is 99.9% silver and rest are impurities whereas Sterling Silver is 92.5% silver and rest 7.5% weight of other metals usually copper to provide stability and rigidity. Pure silver is relatively soft and weak because of this it can easily be scratched or bend, which is why it is not used in jewellery. Although Sterling Silver is more durable than pure silver, the additional metals in the alloy make Sterling Silver more prone to tarnishing, less prone to scratches and easily polished.