999 purity, explained
Every silver piece on this site is 999 fine silver: 99.9% silver by weight.
What the number measures
Fineness is stated in parts per thousand. 999 means 999 parts out of 1,000 are silver. It is the highest fineness silver is commercially refined to, and it is what the trade calls fine silver.
Alloyed silver is a deliberate mixture, usually with copper, made to harden the metal. That choice buys durability and costs purity. We have taken the other side of that trade for everything we sell, and we say so on the pieces where softness is a real consideration rather than hiding it.
Hallmarking and assay, as they actually work here
BIS hallmarking is mandatory for gold jewellery in India. For silver it is a voluntary scheme. That means the absence of a hallmark on a silver piece is not evidence of anything, and its presence is a verification worth having. Where a piece is hallmarked, its page says so in the spec line. Where it is not, the spec line stays silent rather than implying a mark that is not there.
Independently of hallmarking, any piece can be assayed. Ask and we will provide the assay report for the piece you are buying. You are also free to have it assayed yourself at a BIS-recognised centre; we would rather you did that than take our word.
What comes with the piece
- An invoice stating weight, purity and the rate applied.
- The assay report, on request.
- An anti-tarnish pouch or box.
- Twelve months of free re-polishing at our counter.
Purity is half the price
Purity is not only a quality claim, it is an input to the arithmetic. Metal value is the day rate multiplied by the weight multiplied by the purity factor. At 999 that factor is 0.999, which is why the metal line on every product page is a figure you can check against the published rate. Today’s rate is here.
Questions
- What does 999 mean?
- It is a fineness figure: 999 parts silver in every 1,000 parts by weight, or 99.9% silver. The remainder is trace material left by refining rather than metal added on purpose.
- Is silver hallmarking compulsory in India?
- No. BIS hallmarking is compulsory for gold jewellery and artefacts. For silver it is a voluntary scheme, so a silver piece can be entirely genuine without a hallmark. Where a piece of ours is hallmarked we say so on its page, and where it is not, we do not imply otherwise.
- How do I check purity myself?
- Ask for the assay report. A BIS-recognised assaying and hallmarking centre tests the metal and states the fineness. We will give you the report for any piece, and you are free to have a piece independently assayed.
- Why not use alloyed silver?
- Alloyed silver is harder, which suits pieces under daily mechanical stress. It is also less silver per gram and tarnishes faster, because the added copper is what drives the reaction. For coins, murtis and keepsakes we would rather sell the metal.