Nowadays, different kinds of silver (other than Sterling Silver) such as Italian or Tibetan Silver, dominates local markets. Most people think that the name comes from the Country of origin itself.
Tibetan (or Nepalese) Silver actually isn’t ‘silver’ most of the time. It does not even contain the element silver at all. In the past, though, it is actually a sterling (or 92.5%) silver combined with other metals. However, recent tests show that Tibetan Silver is a silver-colored alloy consisting of copper with small amounts of tin and nickel. Most of the time, it is a tin-plated copper with small amounts of nickel, since nickel is known to cause allergic reactions in people’s skin.
Tibetan Silver is now being sold to sites like Amazon and eBay as a part of jewelry. Since this kind is not that distinguishable from the genuine silver, most people often mistake it for one. And compared to genuine silver, the metals (copper, tin and nickel) are way cheaper so, when it comes to business, this is way more profitable, indeed.
However, additional tests showed that aside from the three metals that were mentioned above, Tibetan Silver is shown to contain large amounts of highly-toxic metal such as lead and arsenic. So if you’re planning to buy somewhat ‘cheap’ jewelry online for your pregnant wife or kids, better think it over and over. X-Ray Fluorescence Test showed that it contains 1.3% Arsenic and 54% High Lead Content. That’s the reason why doctors discourage pregnant women and children in wearing jewelry made from those.