The phrase "a sterling example of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to highlight something that serves as an excellent or ideal representation of a particular quality or characteristic.
Example: "Her dedication to community service is a sterling example of what it means to be a good citizen."
Alternatives: "a prime example of" or "an exemplary instance of".
The U.S. Congress is a sterling example of making progress via consensus.
Woodrow Wilson, who openly confessed to reading German, was a sterling example of this type.
"The robotic ankle is a sterling example of how our leading-edge research improves veterans' lives," Kupersmith said.
He was a friend, a mentor, and a sterling example of the true spirit of public service.
"He set a sterling example of 'Princeton in the nation's service' through his courageous support of Thurgood Marshall's campaign to end segregation," Eisgruber said.
The last essay I wrote, extolling the incomparable beauty of a stuffed buffalo at the Autry National Center, is a sterling example of my expressive capacity.
Image caption Griff Rhys Jones said the Odeon campaign was "a sterling example to all communities" However, supporters of the redevelopment still faced a "daunting task", said Gideon Seymour from Bradford One.
With his volunteer work and pre-game prayer circles, this upstanding young man is a sterling example to his teammates, fellow-students, and all of college football.
It's a sterling example to any company faced with a public-relations (PR) crisis.
Gingrich, who until recently was a relentless basher of David Kessler and a happy beneficiary of tobacco-industry donations, sees in his party's abandonment of the industry a sterling example not of hypocrisy, but of true representative democracy.
Citing as a sterling example one of the most strategically nimble companies of all time — IBM — he explains that sooner or later, some assumption you have about what's critical to your company will turn out to be no longer true.
