The material used for silver-colored silver accessories is almost always sterling silver (silver 925). Pink silver, which has a pale cherry blossom color, is also popular, especially among women.
Sterling silver refers to silver that is 92.5% silver. Silver that is 99.9% or more silver is called "Sala (pure silver)," but if you make jewelry out of this material, it will be weak and difficult to use as an accessory for everyday use. Therefore, other metals such as copper are mixed in, called alloys, to increase the strength. Silver with a ratio of 92.5% silver and 7.5% alloys is called silver 925, or sterling silver.
Sterling silver was originally used as the standard for coin production in England in the 12th century. The word "Sterling" still refers to the British currency "pound" (officially pound sterling) today, and has come to mean "excellent," "genuine," and "trustworthy."
Pink silver is made by increasing the proportion of copper used in the alloy, giving the silver a soft pink hue. Pink silver may also tarnish over time, but by caring for it in the same way as sterling silver, you can restore its original shine.
There was also a time when Britannia silver, which is 95.8% silver, was used for accessories, but because it contains a higher proportion of silver than sterling silver, it is more likely to lose strength.
There is also coin silver, which is 90.0% silver. This has been widely used as coins since ancient times. There was a time when it was popular to melt coins made from this coin silver to make jewelry, but this is rarely seen today.