Precious Metal Silver 925 · temper · default condition
Precious Metal Silver 925-O
Properties of the O condition, compared with the other Silver 925 tempers.
Default stock condition for sheet, wire and tube that will be formed, raised, bent or drawn.
What is Silver 925-O?
Silver 925-O is Silver 925 in the O temper — default stock condition for sheet, wire and tube that will be formed, raised, bent or drawn. Silver 925-O has a yield strength of 75 MPa (10.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 280 MPa (40.6 ksi) — weaker than 89% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 76 GPa (11 Msi). Silver 925-O has a density of 10.36 g/cm³ (0.374 lb/in³), heavier than 50% of precious metal grades. It melts at 779°C (1,434 °F).
Advantages
- Conducts heat well — 360 W/m·K (208 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 94% of precious metal grades
- Ductile — tolerates forming and impact — 40%, better than 92% of precious metal grades
- Forms and bends easily — 95/100, better than 90% of precious metal grades
- High electrical conductivity — 85 % IACS, better than 88% of precious metal grades
- Easy to machine — 55/100, better than 86% of precious metal grades
Limitations
- Low stiffness — 76 GPa (11 Msi), worse than 96% of precious metal grades
- Low strength — 75 MPa (10.9 ksi), worse than 89% of precious metal grades
- Limited service temperature — 200°C (392 °F), worse than 89% of precious metal grades
Silver 925-O properties
Typical room-temperature values for Silver 925-O — 9 properties are specific to this condition; the rest are grade-level values shared by every Silver 925 temper. Each bar shows where the value sits among the precious metal grades in FabDigit's library — further right is higher.
Physical3
Silver 925-O has a density of 10.36 g/cm³ (0.374 lb/in³), heavier than 50% of precious metal grades. It melts at 779°C (1,434 °F).
Mechanical10
Silver 925-O has a yield strength of 75 MPa (10.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 280 MPa (40.6 ksi) — weaker than 89% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 76 GPa (11 Msi).
Thermal6
Silver 925-O is rated for continuous service to 200°C (392 °F). It conducts heat at 360 W/m·K (208 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 94% of precious metal grades. Thermal expansion is 18.9 µm/m·K (10.5 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Silver 925-O conducts electricity at 85 % IACS, better than 88% of precious metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (75/100), worse than 60% of precious metal grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Silver 925-O takes about 1,500 MJ of energy and emits 110 kg of CO₂ — more than 53% of precious metal grades. Typical recycled content is 35%.
Manufacturability8
Silver 925-O's machinability is good (55/100, better than 86% of precious metal grades); weldability good (60/100); formability excellent (95/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Other Silver 925 tempers and conditions
Silver 925 is also supplied in 4 other conditions. The full side-by-side table is on the Silver 925 overview.
- ODefaultDefault stock condition for sheet, wire and tube that will be formed, raised, bent or drawn.75 MPa yield · 58 HB
- Cold WorkedUse for springs, clasps, pin stems and wear-facing parts where maximum strength and stiffness retention matter.375 MPa yield · 118 HB
- 1/2HPick for wire, findings and bezels that must hold shape yet still take a moderate bend.260 MPa yield · 95 HB
Working with Silver 925-O
Is Silver 925 easy to machine?
Very soft and gummy in the annealed state — use sharp polished high-rake carbide or HSS, high speed, light feed, and prefer half-hard or age-hardened stock for threads and turned parts; collect all swarf as refinable scrap.
Can Silver 925 be welded?
Laser and micro-TIG welding are routine with matching sterling filler; high thermal conductivity makes resistance welding difficult, and torch work needs a reducing flame plus boric-acid/flux protection against firescale.
Can Silver 925 be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold formability when annealed (raising, spinning, stamping, drawing); interanneal at 600–650 °C with a rapid quench after roughly 50–60 % reduction to avoid edge cracking, and investment casts well at 950–1000 °C mould temperature.
What surface finishes work on Silver 925?
Polishes to a mirror finish easily; typical finishes are bright polish, satin, chemical oxidising (liver of sulfur) or rhodium/fine-silver plating for tarnish resistance — anodizing is not applicable.
Silver 925 chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Ag925 fineness minimum per ISO 9202 / GB/T 11887 hallmarking | 92.5 – 93.5 | 92.5 |
| Cubalance; may be partly replaced by Zn/Si/Ge/Sn in de-oxidised or tarnish-resistant sterling variants | ≥ 6.5 (balance) | — |
Silver 925-O — frequently asked
What is Silver 925-O used for?
Silver 925-O is typically used for jewelry, tableware and coin minting. In short: sterling silver jewelry sheet.
What is the yield strength of Silver 925-O?
Silver 925-O has a typical yield strength of 75 MPa (10.9 ksi) and a tensile strength of 280 MPa (40.6 ksi) — weaker than 89% of precious metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 5 listed tempers.
Is Silver 925-O easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (55/100, better than 86% of precious metal grades). Very soft and gummy in the annealed state — use sharp polished high-rake carbide or HSS, high speed, light feed, and prefer half-hard or age-hardened stock for threads and turned parts; collect all swarf as refinable scrap.
Can Silver 925-O be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated good (60/100). Laser and micro-TIG welding are routine with matching sterling filler; high thermal conductivity makes resistance welding difficult, and torch work needs a reducing flame plus boric-acid/flux protection against firescale.
What surface finishes work on Silver 925-O?
Polishes to a mirror finish easily; typical finishes are bright polish, satin, chemical oxidising (liver of sulfur) or rhodium/fine-silver plating for tarnish resistance — anodizing is not applicable.
Can Silver 925-O be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold formability when annealed (raising, spinning, stamping, drawing); interanneal at 600–650 °C with a rapid quench after roughly 50–60 % reduction to avoid edge cracking, and investment casts well at 950–1000 °C mould temperature.
What is the maximum service temperature of Silver 925-O?
Silver 925-O is rated for continuous use to about 200°C (392 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between Silver 925-O and Silver 925-PH?
O is the default condition — default stock condition for sheet, wire and tube that will be formed, raised, bent or drawn. PH: choose when a formed or cast sterling part must be hardened after shaping (spring clips, hinge pins, cutlery handles). Yield strength is 75 MPa in O versus 400 MPa in PH.
Can FabDigit make parts in Silver 925-O?
Yes — Silver 925-O is available for CNC machining and sheet metal with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- ISO 9202 Jewellery — Fineness of precious metal alloys — ISO (2019)
- ASM Handbook Vol.2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys (Precious Metals) — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Alloy Phase Diagrams — Ag-Cu system — ASM International (1992)
- Sterling silver sheet & wire technical data — Hoover & Strong / Rio Grande (2024)
- CES EduPack materials data — silver alloys (eco properties) — Granta/Ansys (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.