Silver Jewelry – some facts to keep in mind

In these days when people have varied choices in jewelries and they do not restrict themselves to a particular metal, silver jewelry has kept itself alive on the mind and body of today’s generation. This is the reason that you will find all types of rings, pendants, chains and brooches available in this metal as well. In fact, the ornaments made of silver are also perfect replacements for costly platinum jewelry and yellow gold.

Today, silver is frequently used in making the ornaments for women and men alike. The reason for such regular use of the metal is that it is much durable in these days. The purest silver is of .999/1000 purity. But high purity makes the metal soft and becomes a hurdle in molding the metal into an ornament. So, other metals are mixed with silver for creating alloys for durability.

To make the metal even stronger for durability and carving out ornaments with ease, today’s jewelers use sterling silver that has 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. This combination of metals gives enough strength to the silver jewelry for keeping it safe and secure for many years to come. Due to the alloy metal, silver ornaments become more attractive due to enhanced shine of the metal. Some jewelers may use rhodium also for providing a good finish and for tarnish resistance also.

But sterling silver is not the sole form of silver jewelry available to the people today. You can find the ornaments made of silver 800 that uses 80 percent silver and 20 percent other metals. Though silver-plated jewelries are also available in the shops, but do not opt for making a long-term investment in them as such jewelry may wear off soon. Then, the jeweler may show you jewelry that has nickel. You should opt for such ornaments only after considering the fact that it has several metals and almost no silver in it. Whichever type of the jewelry you opt for, keep this in mind that it will easily get tarnished and will have scratches after sometime. So, you should take extra care for maintenance of the ornaments.

Sterling Silver Jewelry – tips for proper maintenance

With more and more people having an attraction for well-designed sterling silver jewelry, it is crucial for them to know the proper way of keeping these vital ornaments safe for a longer period. Surely, you would like making your investment safer so that you do not incur losses soon after you have bought the items. But without a regular and accurate way of cleaning the silver ornaments, it is no possible to escape from the damages to the metal in the coming days.

Sterling silver jewelry is made of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. This combination of the two metals gives good stretch to the jewelry and makes it easier for molding the metal into any shape. Such metal also is safer as it does not get damaged soon. Sill, as the percentage of silver is quite high, the ornaments such as silver rings, pendants, bracelets, chains, and earrings may discolor soon in the absence of proper maintenance.

Note that sterling silver jewelry will get shades of gold and black colors if it comes in contact with chemicals. So women can expose a ring or chain to the chemicals that are mixed in a hot water bathtub or pool. Nail polish and other make-up products too have chemicals. So, cleaning of the ornaments should be on the regular basis. You should first choose a right cleanser. Ammonia, alcohol, bleach and acetone are very harmful for silver and any cleanser should be free of these chemicals. Make sure that you use a mild cleanser that is dipped in water.

Choose a brush that is specially designed for jewelry cleansing. Do not use the brushes that have hard bristles. You can easily choose a baby toothbrush for its soft bristles. Or pick up a mushroom brush. Brush your sterling sliver jewelry gently on the ornaments and make sure that it is thoroughly cleaned of the dust using a cleanser. Then, put the jewelry on a proper cloth for drying it. Make sure that you use only a cotton cloth. Such cleaning of your ornaments on regular basis will not allow for accumulation of dust and damages from chemicals.

The charm of the wedding ring and the associating factors

The wedding ring is considered to be the symbol of love and commitment towards each other for a couple. Therefore there is no match to the significance of the wedding ring in any marriage. And for these reasons the custom which originated in the ancient Egypt has become one of the most popular custom in almost every culture and religion these days. Though there are a lot of changes that have already came to the traditional concept of the wedding ring still the significance of the ring exchange ceremony when the couple exchange their rings and their souls get united with each other has not lessened a little bit. Rather the fact is that the custom of the ring exchange ceremony is equally popular even in the present day context. And for that reason whether be it an Asian country or a European country but the value of the custom of the ring exchange ceremony remains the same. The significance and gravity of the custom is far beyond the geographical boundaries and cultural diversities. The custom of exchanging wedding or engagement rings symbolizes love, commitment and respect that a couple promises to keep for their life time. Two souls become united for their lifetime only through this ritual of exchanging of rings. Every wedding band carries with it the story of that very special date on which the couples were united. Therefore it bears a lot of significance in their life. And for that reason it is obvious that before choosing one’s wedding ring he/she feels a lot of excitement. The oath of commitment among the couple is deeply related with the wedding ring.

For the proper choice of the wedding ring for your life partner there are several considerable factors. One of the most important among them is the choice of the metal for the ring. According to the traditional concepts wedding rings are made up of gold and silver alloy. But these days the concept of the wedding bands have changed a lot and it is seen that designers prefer to make wedding rings of platinum, titanium and other such precious metals. Metals like platinum and titanium are more durable and provide a better look to the ring than gold or silver. And to provide a classy look to the ring diamond setting is often used. Besides diamond there are also other precious stones like emerald, ruby and Safire are also used for the making of the wedding bands. The budget you allot for the ring is the most essential thing that should be kept in mind for the choice of the wedding ring.

Often these days it is seen that people prefer to use white gold, an alloy of gold and other white metals like platinum, for the metal for their wedding band. A white gold ring with a diamond fitted in it really gives the ring an elegant look. On the other hand it is often noticed that people prefer to have plain wedding bands for their wedding. The point is that as the wedding band is the most used jewelry therefore there are chances for the highly decorated ring getting damaged with regular usage. And for that reason many people these days prefer to have plain wedding bands with simple decoration on it.

Wedding rings are the most important part of a person’s wedding; this wedding ring forms the bond between the husband and the wife as long as they are alive. The ritual of using wedding bands for both men and women started a long time ago.

Six common questions about sterling silver jewelry

Sterling silver jewelry has been a popular commodity for thousands of years. One of the obvious reasons is the affordability over other precious metals gold and platinum. The large variety of sterling silver jewelry requires certain knowledge in order to choose the right piece and also keep it in good condition as long as possible. The followings are the most common questions concerning sterling silver jewelry.

How do I clean sterling silver jewelry?
It depends. Usually, it is sufficient to use a jewelry cloth (with two layers of cloths in different colors) that you can get from a jewelry accessory store. Don't use any hard object to clean sterling silver jewelry; even paper towel could scratch the surface. You should rub any dirt off using a jewelry cloth, not fingernails. Silver-dip is another commonly used sterling silver jewelry cleaner, which can also be obtained from jewelry store. The entire silver jewelry is immerged in the solution for half a minute to a minute and then rinsed with water. Make sure the silver jewelry is not plated with any other metal before using the silver-dip or the plating will be damaged.

Where do I store sterling silver jewelry?
It is very important to store sterling silver jewelry properly when it is not used. The ideal place to store sterling silver jewelry is cool and away from sunlight. Heat and light will turn a silver jewelry yellow and cause it to tarnish quickly. Even indoor light source like florescent lights or light bulbs turn the color of silver jewelry over time. If you expect not to wear a certain piece for a long time, put it in a air-tight bag and store it in a drawer.

What types of silver jewelry plating are there?
Unlike gold and platinum, however, pure silver is rather unstable and oxides rather quickly. Therefore, silver jewelry is usually plated with another metal to protect it from tarnishing. There are two kinds of plating for silver jewelry: nickel and rhodium plating. Nickel plating has a more whitish look and rhodium plating has a darker look. Rhodium is used to plate white gold and platinum jewelry and is much more expensive than nickel, and it give better protection to the silver underneath. On the other hand, some silver jewelry is not plated. For instance, high polished sterling silver jewelry does not have any plating and the surface is polished by machine to render shininess. Also, "oxidized silver" jewelry is oxidized on purpose to give a dark antique look and is not plated with any other metals.

How do I know the purity of my silver jewelry?
The purity of sterling silver refers to 92.5% of silver in the alloy. In order to confirm the purity, the metal itself has to be sent to a laboratory to be tested. However, most of the sterling silver jewelry produced nowadays has a "925" stamp to indicate the authenticity of the jewelry. Although there are cases where stamps are forged and the metal is either not silver or the purity is not as stated, they are very rare.

How about engraving and resizing?
Engraving and resizing of sterling silver rings is rather simple due to the ductility and relatively low melting point. However, make sure your jeweler understands the process of refinishing the ring and that they possess the necessary equipment to do so. Not all jewelers have the equipment to recoat the rhodium plating after cutting and welding the ring. Also, rings set with stones are sometimes not resizable because resizing might cause the stones to pop out. Such settings include channel and invisible settings.

Can I wear sterling silver jewelry if I am allergic to nickel?
Yes, just make sure the jewelry is pure sterling silver, not plated with nickel. Even Rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry sometimes contains a nickel layer between the silver and the rhodium to act as an adhesive. Hence, buy only high polished sterling silver jewelry if you are allergic to nickel.