What Is Sterling Silver And Why Is It Perfect For Casting?

When choosing the right material for hand castings, the most popular options are bronze, glass, gold and sterling silver. All of them are perfectly suited for capturing the tiny, beautiful details on hands, feet, paws and fingerprints but do so in different ways.

The beautiful appeal of sterling silver for casting is that it has the clear, reflective beauty of silver as well as its malleability, as well as being strong enough to last for years, keeping memories preserved in precious metal.

What is somewhat unique about sterling silver is that it is not the only type of silver that could potentially be used for creating fine metalwork, consisting of an alloy of at least 92.5 per cent silver, with the remainder made up of copper and other alloy metals.

The biggest reason for this is that fine silver, with a purity level of 99.9 per cent, has historically been considered to be too malleable and soft to last. 

Sterling silver, named after the alternative term for a silver penny in England, was historically the material used in the Royal Mint, as pure silver would struggle to keep its shape and hallmarks.

Nobody is certain where the word “sterling” originated from, with theories ranging from it being the Old English for “star coin”, to the Old English translation of the Roman word solidus, a gold coin that fulfilled a similar purpose.

All of these traits that make it capable of lasting for decades of constant active use also make it ideal for casting that aims to preserve priceless memories.

As with bronze, it is very suitable for moulding and casting, with sterling silver easily melted down into any shape that is required of it, and its quality and resistance to tarnishing means that it is designed to take pride of place on any mantlepiece.