Sterling silver is an alloy that comprises pure silver and other metal. These additional metals could include zinc, copper, or nickel. Pure silver, on the other hand, is produced entirely of silver. Sterling silver contains 7.2 percent of metals like copper, zinc, or nickel and 95.2 percent pure silver. The Sterling Silver Jewelry is hallmarked with a stamp of 925. Pure Silver contains 99.9 percent of pure silver while sterling silver contains pure silver and other metals. Pure silver is exceedingly soft, which makes working with it very challenging.