Wearing silver jewelry is quite
fashionable for young people and its
white luster bestows a serene
elegance on the wearer. You will
find exquisite silver jewelry
available in the market ranging from
beautiful silver charms, necklaces,
bracelets, earrings, rings, bangles
and watches. It’s much more
affordable compared to gold and
exudes a shine quite similar to
platinum.
Silver has been used to make jewelry
right the time of the Phoenician,
Byzantine and Egyptian empires.
Today, most of the world’s silver
comes from the mines of Mexico and
Peru.
Pure silver is call fine silver.
Since silver in its purest forms is
very soft and quite malleable, other
metals are mixed, to make it more
durable. It’s important to look out
for the 925, .925 or Sterling Silver
mark, when buying jewelry because
these marks ensure that the silver
is 92.5% pure. The remaining 7.5
percent of the jewelry is copper.
Even though any other metal can be
used to make up the 7.5 percent,
copper is preferred since it is
found to be the most suited alloy to
silver as it can improve the metal’s
hardness and durability without
diminishing it’s white luster.
The 925, .925 or Sterling Silver
marks shows that the silver jewelry
you are buying is not silver plated
and not an imitation made with other
white colored metal alloys. At the
same time, if you find a mark higher
than the recommended 92.5%, avoid
buying the piece as it will be too
soft. It can’t endure everyday wear
and is not worth the money spent.
One thing about silver jewelry is
that it develops a tarnish, which
occurs quite naturally when it
interacts with sulfur or hydrogen in
the surrounding air. Tarnish can be
removed by using polish specifically
formulated to remove tarnish from
silver jewelry. Silver polishes,
solutions, or cloths required to
remove tarnish can be found at local
hardware stores or specialty craft
stores.
Avoid exposing silver to chemicals
such as bleach or ammonia which may
happen when you are cleaning your
house. When swimming in chlorinated
water remove or set aside your
silver jewelry, such as earring or
chains, before your swim. Such
exposures will only damage silver
jewelry. It’s best to place your
silver jewelry in cloth pouch or in
a separate area of you jewelry box.
Proper care will ensure that your
silver jewelry lasts for a lifetime.
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