Sterling Silver - The "Other" Precious Metal

Written by Antigone Arthur


Learn More About This Affordable Alternative to Expensive Jewelry

History of Sterling Silver

Silver jewelry has been a staple inrepparttar lives of mankind since humans discoveredrepparttar 145970 versatility of silver andrepparttar 145971 many uses it has. Silver has been used for functional and aesthetic purposes. In times of old, silver was used to create flatware and armor to protect soldiers on their way into battle. Silver jewelry was later created and used by Phoenician and Egyptian citizens desiring attractive and convenient pieces to add to their jewelry collections. Over time silver has been used to create flatware, decorative art, coins, dental fillings, jewelry and more.

Silver is produced in many different areas, thoughrepparttar 145972 highest concentrations of silver output come from Mexico and Peru.

One ofrepparttar 145973 reasons sterling silver jewelry is so popular is its affordability and versatility. Sterling silver can be crafted into many different jewelry items including charms, rings and chains. Silver jewelry is often mistaken for other more precious metals including white gold and platinum.

Common Types of Silver

There are many different types of silver that can be used to create sterling silver jewelry. Silver is considered one ofrepparttar 145974 precious metals along with its cousins gold, platinum and titanium.

Fine Silver - this is silver in its most natural state, when it is considered 99% pure. Often this type of silver is too soft to create ordinary products and is almost liquid in form. Usually silver has to be mixed with other metal alloys in order to create jewelry and household wear.

Sterling Silver - sterling is a mixture of fine silver and other metal alloys. The silver is considered about 92.5% pure. Sterling is usually combined with approximately 7.5% copper to makerepparttar 145975 jewelry more long lasting and durable. Sterling silver jewelry is usually marked onrepparttar 145976 inside with a "925", indicative of its purity. Sterling silver jewelry made of justrepparttar 145977 right combination of silver and metal allows a jeweler to create a long lasting, durable piece that is shiny and brilliant enough to be mistaken for more expensive precious metals. Sterling silver is more likely to tarnish over time because ofrepparttar 145978 presence of copper; however this relatively mild side effect can be minimized through proper care. By consistently cleaning your silver jewelry you'll never even notice anything other than a beautiful shine and luster.

Silver Plating - plating occurs when a base metal such as nickel is covered with a layer of pure silver. This is often one ofrepparttar 145979 most durable forms of silver, and is usually much less expensive than sterling silver becauserepparttar 145980 percentage of pure silver inrepparttar 145981 jewelry is quite low. Most base metals need a re-coat of pure silver every few years to maintain a shiny outer coat and to preventrepparttar 145982 base metal from peaking throughrepparttar 145983 coating.

Nickel Silver - nickel silver is a combination of nickel, copper and zinc that is not actually silver, but resembles silver. It is an inexpensive and popular item that can be used to create look-alike jewelry.

Vermeil - this form of silver was popular inrepparttar 145984 eighteenth century. Silver is plated in gold, providing a polished and expensive looking custom piece of jewelry.

Caring for Silver Jewelry

Sterling silver jewelry does have a tendency to scratch more often than other metals, and may tarnish over time. Proper care can ensure however thatrepparttar 145985 jewelry remains shiny and well kept. The following tips will ensure that your sterling silver lasts a long time and maintains its luster and original appearance:

Sterling Silver Jewelry Exposed

Written by Sam Serio


Sterling silver jewelry is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today’s fashion conscious public. You know how beautiful sterling silver jewelry is and how brilliantly it shines. Now here isrepparttar rest ofrepparttar 145919 story.

Silver has been used since ancient times, but has not survived as well as ancient gold because it tarnishes and decomposes. There have been times, however, when silver was “in”; we are going through such a vogue today.

Silver isrepparttar 145920 commonest ofrepparttar 145921 precious metals. Fine silver is pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper,repparttar 145922 alloy most often used. Silver weighs about half as much as gold, has greater flexibility, but is not as malleable, it has always been less expensive as well. A comparable piece of gold jewelry might cost four or five times that of a piece of sterling silver jewelry.

The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewelry more popular than ever. Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner & shinier through movement and friction. So sterling silver is a perfect accessory for today’s fast paced lifestyles. Much like gold, sterling silver needs to be cleaned.

Here are Some Tips for Greater Enjoyment of your Sterling Silver Jewelry

·To avoid tarnishing, wrap silver in tissue paper and store in poly bags with anti-tarnish strips (UTL-46). Use polishing cloth (UTL-1) to buff silver. Anti-Tarnish polish (UTL-47) may be used. Cleaning dip (UTL-25) should only be used as a last resort. Do not dip pieces with stones; it may cause damage torepparttar 145923 stones. ·Minimize exposure of silver to perfumes, hair sprays or household cleaners. Avoid wearing silver in pools, hot tubes orrepparttar 145924 ocean. ·Some people may cause silver in contact with their skin to turn black, which may be difficult to clean. Cleaning Tips

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