A lot of people would say that they love silver jewellery. However, silver jewellery is a very broad term and when someone talks about silver jewellery, he or she may be referring to pure, high quality silver or the opposite, which are the cheap, silver plated ones. The term silver can pertain to the metal where the jewellery is made out from or merely its colour. But if you specifically talk about sterling silver, this means that you have taste because it is a high grade silver variation used in the creation of elegant jewellery.
Basic facts about sterling silver
Authentic silver is a precious metal used in the production of high quality jewellery since centuries ago. Pure silver is very soft and it cannot form durable jewellery on its own. It must be mixed with other metals in order to stand everyday wear. While jewellers experimented on mixing and matching metals in order to produce durable silver jewellery, they successfully come up with sterling silver.
Sterling silver is an alloy, not pure silver, as some assume. It contains 92.5 of silver. The remaining 7.5 is any other metal. Copper is the most common combination used. Most of the time, a less costly metal is also added which is known as base metal. This makes the alloy harder so it can be formed into many shapes.
Types of jewellery that makes use of sterling silver
Almost every type of jewellery can be made out of sterling silver. You can find sterling silver jewellery both online and offline. These are widely available in physical jewellery stores as well as those that can be found over the Internet. There are sterling silver rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, among other jewellery variations such as anklets. Other accessories such as hair clips may also be made out of sterling silver.
You can also opt for customized sterling silver jewellery. For instance, you can purchase sterling silver chains per inch to fit your preference and size. You can also have personalized sterling silver pendants—you can have your name engraved on it.
Basic sterling silver care
Sterling silver is prone to tarnishing. It may form what is known as patina, which will cause a considerably attractive glow yet with darkened areas. Some may find this jewellery look elegant, somewhat vintage, while some don’t. If you want to keep your sterling silver jewellery polished, you can maintain it by using a soft polish cloth. In contrast with popular knowledge, toothpaste will not do your sterling silver jewellery any good, so avoid using it. It will leave scratches on your jewellery. More so, stay away from abrasive cleaners.
You must store sterling silver jewellery in bags and pouches that are made to protect it from tarnish. Keep the jewellery in a cool, dry place where there is low humidity. If you are to store it in a jewellery box together with others, make it a point that it will not tangle with hard jewelleries because it might be scratched.
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