Standard silver is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper called sterling silver . Another ancient use of silver was to make coins. Silver has been used as money for thousands of years. Today, few coins are still made from silver because of its high cost. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of other metals, usually copper. Silver jewelry marked with a 925 is sterling silver jewelry that has been certified to contain 92.5% silver content. Silver is mined from the minerals acanthite (silver sulfide) and stephanite. Silver also is found in the common minerals chlorargyrite (silver chloride) and polybasite. Silver is mined in many countries, but most comes from the USA , Canada , Mexico , Peru and Bolivia . Silver is the 68th most abundant element in the Earth's crust and 65th in cosmic abundance. It is found in small quantities in many locations on Earth. Large amounts of the metal have b...