01 · The metal
What the piece is made of
- Fineness
- How much pure silver a piece contains, written as parts per thousand by weight. 925 means 925 parts silver in every 1,000. Also called millesimal fineness.
- 999 silver (fine silver)
- Silver that is 99.9% pure. It is soft, so it is used mostly for coins, bars and pieces that are kept rather than handled. 925 vs 999 silver →
- 925 silver (sterling silver)
- Silver that is 92.5% pure, with the remaining 7.5% usually copper. The copper makes it harder, which is why jewellery and cutlery are made in sterling. 925 vs 999 silver →
- Silver grades
- The fineness levels the Bureau of Indian Standards recognises for hallmarking silver, from 800 up to 999. A hallmark records which grade a piece meets.
- Solid silver
- Silver all the way through at a stated fineness, as opposed to a silver layer over another metal. Solid silver is usually priced by weight.
- Silver-plated
- A thin layer of silver bonded onto a base metal such as brass or copper. The object is mostly base metal, so it is priced by design and finish, not by weight. Everything Nazarana makes is silver-plated. Silver-plated vs pure silver →
- Electroplating
- The usual way silver plating is applied: the piece sits in a solution of silver salts and an electric current deposits a layer of silver on its surface.
- Base metal
- The metal underneath a plated finish, commonly brass or copper. It gives the piece its shape and most of its weight.
- German silver (nickel silver)
- An alloy of copper, nickel and zinc that looks silvery but contains no silver at all. Often sold for puja items and tableware; it should never be described as silver.
02 · The proof
How a claim about silver is checked
- BIS
- The Bureau of Indian Standards, the national standards body. It sets the standard for silver grades and recognises the centres that test and hallmark precious metals.
- Hallmark
- A set of marks stamped on a piece after testing that records its fineness, so the claim can be checked again later. In India, hallmarking of silver is voluntary; for most gold jewellery it is mandatory.
- HUID
- Hallmark Unique Identification: a six-character code stamped alongside the hallmark that identifies one individual piece. It is required on most hallmarked gold jewellery; for silver it is voluntary.
- IS 2112
- The Indian Standard that defines silver grades and how silver articles are hallmarked.
- Assay
- A laboratory test that measures how much of each metal a piece contains. Hallmarking follows an assay.
- Assaying and hallmarking centre
- A testing centre recognised by BIS to assay and hallmark gold and silver. Jewellers send pieces there; buyers can also have a piece re-tested.
- Spot rate
- The day's market price for silver, usually quoted per kilogram or per gram. It moves daily.
- Melt value
- What the silver in a piece would be worth as metal: its weight, times its fineness, times the spot rate. Plated pieces have almost none.
- Making charge
- The part of a solid-silver price that pays for design and craft, on top of the metal value. An honest quote states it separately.
03 · The finish
How silver looks, and how it ages
- Tarnish
- The dark film that forms when silver reacts with sulphur in the air. It sits on the surface and can be cleaned off; plated pieces need gentler cleaning so the layer is not worn through. How to care for your silver →
- Patina
- The soft, greyish depth an old silver piece takes on from years of handling and light polishing. Many collectors prefer it to a mirror shine.
- Oxidised silver
- Silver deliberately darkened, usually with a sulphur compound, so that recesses read black and raised detail stands out. Despite the name, the finish is a sulphide, not an oxide.
- Anti-tarnish coating
- A clear protective layer that slows tarnish. Abrasive polish and harsh dips remove it, so coated pieces are wiped, not scrubbed.
- Matte and mirror finish
- A matte (or satin) finish is lightly brushed to diffuse light; a mirror finish is polished to reflect it. The same piece can carry both.
04 · The craft
How a silver piece is made
- Casting
- Pouring molten metal into a mould. Cast pieces are heavier and carry deep, rounded detail; idols and figures are usually cast.
- Repoussé
- Hammering a sheet of metal from the back to raise a design on the front.
- Chasing
- Working the front of the metal with small punches to sharpen the detail. Usually paired with repoussé.
- Engraving
- Cutting lines into the surface, by hand or by laser. Laser engraving repeats a logo cleanly across a large order; hand engraving suits a single piece.
- Filigree (tarakasi)
- Fine silver wire twisted and soldered into open, lace-like patterns. Cuttack in Odisha is the best-known Indian centre.
- Meenakari
- Enamelling: coloured glass fused into recesses cut in the metal. Associated above all with Rajasthan.
- Bidri
- Blackened zinc-and-copper alloy inlaid with silver wire or sheet, from Bidar in Karnataka.
05 · The occasion
The objects and moments silver belongs to
- Urli
- A wide, shallow bowl, traditionally filled with water and floating flowers or diyas at an entrance or on a table.
- Diya
- A small oil lamp, lit for Diwali and for daily puja.
- Kalash
- A round-bellied pot used in ritual, usually filled with water and crowned with mango leaves and a coconut.
- Thali
- A round plate. A puja thali holds the diya, kumkum, rice and flowers for a ritual.
- Shagun
- An auspicious gift, often cash or a silver coin, given at a wedding, an engagement or another family occasion.
- Streedhan
- Property a woman receives, including gifts given to her at marriage, which is legally hers alone. Silver has long been part of it.
- Trousseau
- The clothes, jewellery and household pieces a bride takes to her new home. Silver tableware and puja pieces are traditional. Trousseau silver →
- Return gift
- A small gift given to guests as thanks for coming, common at weddings, mehendi and sangeet. Silver return gifts →
- Dhanteras
- The first day of the Diwali festival, when buying metal (gold, silver or new utensils) is considered auspicious. In 2026 it falls on Friday 6 November. Dhanteras gifts →
- Annaprashan
- A baby's first-rice ceremony, traditionally fed from a silver bowl and spoon.
- Godh bharai
- The baby-shower ceremony for an expectant mother, often marked with silver gifts.
- Silver jubilee
- A twenty-fifth anniversary, of a marriage or a company. Silver is the traditional gift. 25th anniversary gifts →
For how these terms fit together when you are actually buying, start with the silver purity guide.
