This is a very soft metal, so it is often mixed with an alloy like copper. Sterling silver originally was created in an area in Germany called Easterling. So that’s where the word sterling came from. To be sterling sliver, the metal is made up of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper.
Pure silver, aka Fine Silver (.999), will melt at 1761 degrees F (961 degrees C), while sterling melts at 1434 degrees F (779 degreees C) and the flow point is 1655 degrees F (902 degrees C).
Coin silver melts at a slightly lower temperature than sterling because it has more copper alloy in it; usually any where for 10 to 20 percent of it is an alloy.
