Experimental and finite element method (FEM) analyses were used to study the mechanisms of ductile fracture of constrained, high-purity, silver interlayers under high triaxial stress states. Interlayer bonds loaded in simple tension, develop a principal stress state that is large and axi-symmetric. Ductile, low macroscopic plastic-strain failure was observed in these bonds when the maximum mean stress: yield stress ratio ( σ m σ y ) approached approximately four, in agreement with recent numerical analyses by other investigators, who postulated unstable growth of a cavity subjected to a far-field axi-symmetric stress state at this ratio, without significant far-field plastic strain. Ambient temperature delayed-failure (creep) tests of constrained silver interlayers, at relatively low applied loads, also appear to be due to unstable cavity growth. The mechanism of ductile fracture was further studied by biaxially loading these interlayers through the application of various combinations of tension and torsion load. Low macroscopic-strain ductile fractures are again observed, but the axi-symmetric and non-axi-symmetric failure-stress values and FEM analysis of the stress levels required for cavity instability do not directly support an unstable growth model.