American costume jewelry makers began using silver in jewelry designs long before the turn of the 19th century but didn't adopt the sterling standard of 925 until 1906. Thus, most early American silver was not marked but generally adhered to the 900 fineness standard. However, some fine jewelry makers such as Tiffany adopted the sterling standard of 925 much earlier. American costume jewelry makers used silver extensively during WWII when other metals were in short supply. European silver was also imported in significant amounts, especially after WWII. The most popular foreign silvers include Mexican, Siam (Thialand), Scandinavian and MiddleEastern, which have been popular at different times. Look for marks that include 925, Sterling, Ster, Silver, Mexico, Hecho en Mexico, Taxco, Thialand, and Siam Sterling. |
