Is Sterling Silver Actually Worth It?

It started, as these arguments often do, over coffee. Ruta had a small paper bag from a jeweler on the table and a price tag pinched between two fingers, frowning at it as though it had said something rude. Across from her sat Egle, who had worn the same pair of silver hoops since university and only smiled. What follows is more or less how the conversation went, and by the end Ruta was not frowning anymore.

So is sterling silver actually worth the money?

"Be honest," Ruta said. "This costs four times what the stall by the river wants for something that looks identical. Is sterling silver actually worth it, or am I just paying for the word?" Egle turned her cup. "You are paying for the difference between something you wear for ten years and something you throw away by October. They look identical for about a week. After that, one keeps its shine and the other quietly tells everyone it was cheap." "That is what every shop says." "It is also what your own jewelry box says, if you go and look. Which pieces are still there from five years ago? I would put money on the real ones."

What makes 925 different from the cheap stuff?

"So what actually makes it different?" "A number," Egle said. "925. It means ninety two and a half percent pure silver, with a little harder metal mixed in so it holds its shape. That is sterling silver. The cheap pieces are usually brass or zinc with a thin silver colour sprayed on top. The metal underneath is the problem, not the price." Ruta turned her own tag over. "And this has the number?" "If it is real, it is stamped somewhere small, on the post, the clasp, the inside of the band. No number, no promise."

But silver tarnishes, does it not?

"Silver tarnishes though. My grandmother was forever polishing hers." "Pure silver darkens, yes. But a good modern piece is plated in rhodium, a white metal rarer than gold, laid on thin as a breath. It slows the tarnish right down and shrugs off small scratches. Your grandmother polished because her pieces were older than rhodium plating was common. Wear a modern one often, keep it dry, wipe it now and then, and it stays bright for years with almost no work." Ruta looked unconvinced, then less so.

My skin goes green with cheap jewelry. Is silver different?

Ruta pulled a face. "The last cheap ring I bought turned my finger green in a week." "That is the metal underneath reacting with your skin, usually the nickel in it," Egle said. "Real 925 sterling silver from a proper maker is nickel free, and the rhodium adds another layer between the metal and you. That is exactly why people with sensitive skin can wear it every day without a mark. The green finger is not bad luck. It is the cheap alloy telling you what it really is."

Is it really cheaper in the long run?

"Fine, but it is still more money today." "Do the small sum," Egle said. "Say a pair of real silver studs costs four times the market stall pair. If the real ones last ten years and you replace the cheap ones twice a year, you will have bought twenty throwaway pairs in the time the silver pair sat quietly in your ears. Cost per wearing, the real silver is the cheaper habit by a long way. And at the end you still own something, not a drawer of green studs you are too embarrassed to even give away."

How do I know it is real and not just silver colored?

"How do I avoid being fooled, then?" "Look for two marks," Egle said. "The 925 stamp, and beside it a maker's mark, the sign of someone willing to answer for the piece. Loretana, for instance, is registered with Lietuvos prabavimo rumai, the Lithuanian assay office, so every piece carries the 925 hallmark alongside a registered responsibility mark. The number tells you what the metal is. The mark tells you who stands behind it. Costume jewelry has neither, which is the whole tell."

What if I want the gold look instead?

"And if I want gold, not silver?" "Then buy honest gold, not gold paint," Egle said. "The good gold pieces are the same 925 sterling silver underneath, plated in real 14K or 18K gold. Same strong metal, warmer colour, same little 925 mark on the inside. What you are avoiding is the cheap version, a gold tone sprayed onto soft metal that wears off in a season and greens your skin the same as before. Real on the inside is the only rule that matters. After that, wear whichever colour you like."

Is real silver worth it for a gift?

"What about as a gift?" Ruta asked. "That is almost the easiest case," Egle said. "A cheap chain says you grabbed something on the way to the door. A real silver piece, with its quiet 925 mark, says you meant it, and it lasts long enough to become the thing they remember you by. People keep silver. They throw away the rest. If you are going to spend anything at all on a gift, spend it on something that outlives the wrapping paper."

Does silver actually hold any value?

"Does it actually hold value, or is that just something people say?" "Both, in a way," Egle said. "It is real precious metal, so there is a floor under it that a painted alloy will never have. But the truer value is the one that does not show on a receipt. A real silver piece can be worn for decades, resized, handed down, and still mean something to the person who ends up with it. Costume jewelry has a half life of about a summer. One is an object you keep. The other is an object you replace. That gap is the value, and you tend to see it only looking backward."

Is it overkill for everyday wear?

"Is real silver not a bit much for everyday?" "It is the opposite," Egle said. "Everyday is exactly where it earns its keep. The pieces that touch your skin from morning to night are the ones that have to be nickel free and properly made, or they nag at you, mark you, dull within a month. A cheap piece can survive being worn twice a year to a party. It cannot survive being lived in. If anything, the everyday piece is the one most worth buying real, because it is the one doing the most work."

All right, where would I even start?

Ruta put the tag down. "Say you have convinced me. Where do I start without overthinking it?" "One honest piece you will actually wear," Egle said. "A pair of 925 Silver Round Solitaire Studs from 32.99 EUR, or a simple 925 Silver Essential Stacking Band at 18.99 EUR if you want to test the water first. Browse the silver earrings collection and pick the one thing you would reach for on an ordinary Tuesday. That is the real test. Not the fanciest piece in the case, the one you would actually live in." Ruta picked her bag back up, lighter about it now. "And it will still be here in ten years." "That," said Egle, "is the entire point."

Frequently asked questions

Is sterling silver worth the extra money?

For a piece you wear regularly, yes. Real 925 sterling silver lasts for years, keeps its shine thanks to rhodium plating, and suits sensitive skin, while cheap silver colored jewelry tarnishes, can turn skin green, and gets replaced often. Cost per wearing, real silver is usually the cheaper choice.

What does 925 mean on silver?

It means the metal is 92.5 percent pure silver, strengthened with a little harder metal so it holds its shape. That is the definition of sterling silver. A piece with no 925 stamp may only be a silver colored alloy.

Does sterling silver tarnish?

Pure silver darkens over time, but rhodium plated 925 silver resists tarnish and scratches. Worn often, kept dry, and wiped now and then, it stays bright for years with very little effort.

Will sterling silver turn my skin green?

Real nickel free 925 sterling silver should not. Green skin is usually a reaction to cheap base metals like nickel. Loretana silver is nickel free and rhodium plated, which makes it friendly to sensitive skin.

How can I tell real sterling silver from costume jewelry?

Look for the 925 stamp and a maker's responsibility mark beside it. Loretana pieces carry the 925 international hallmark alongside our registered responsibility mark, registered with Lietuvos prabavimo rumai. Costume jewelry has neither.

MB Loretana is officially registered with Lietuvos prabavimo rumai (order 4819767, dated 2026-03-04) and identified by a registered responsibility mark. Every piece carries the 925 international hallmark alongside our responsibility mark, and ships from Kaunas within 1 business day, with 1 to 3 business days delivery across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.