Hawaii|Mokuʻāina o Hawaiʻi

Sterling Silver

To Have and to Hold: Making Sterling Silver Jewellery Last a Lifetime

Sterling silver jewellery is more fashionable than ever, and with very good reason: it goes with everything, adds a special sparkle to every look, is valuable without being pricey and, best of all, with the proper care, sterling silver jewellery lasts a lifetime!

Perhaps surprisingly, sterling silver jewellery is not made from 100% silver. Silver is simply too soft to be used in making jewellery. Therefore, jewellers mix silver with an alloy - that is, another metal, usually copper - to make sure their sterling silver jewellery is as long-lasting as it is beautiful. They mix the silver and the alloy when these are in a liquid state, and determine the purity of the silver jewellery by the ratio of pure silver to the copper alloy.

Sterling silver jewellery - that is, silver jewellery that bears the stamp "925" and earns the right to be called "sterling" - is made from a combination of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. Silver jewellery with lower-ratio mixes - such as 835 silver and 800 silver (containing 83.5% and 80% pure silver, respectively) - also exist, but their quality is not as high as that of sterling silver jewellery.

And indeed, 925 sterling silver jewellery has a bewitching gleam. To keep its shine, sterling silver jewellery needs "care and feeding". If not properly cared for, sterling silver jewellery will oxidize or "blacken". But don't mind that, for it really simply proves that the jewellery in your possession is indeed made of "real" silver, and is not silver-plated or made with a lower-grade ratio of silver and an alloy.

So if you find your sterling silver jewellery losing its luster, don't fret - just follow these easy steps, and your sterling silver jewellery will keep its regal sheen for a lifetime:

1.       Yes, you can wear your sterling silver jewellery in the shower or bath! Soap and running water help keep sterling silver jewellery gleaming.

2.       But no, don't wear your sterling silver jewellery when swimming in a pool or the ocean. Chlorine and salt water are not friendly to silver, and can have a corrosive effect.

3.       And don't wear your sterling silver jewellery when cleaning about the house. Detergents can cause sterling silver jewellery to blacken, so take off those lovely rings and bracelets before doing the dishes!

4.       Likewise, don't let your sterling silver jewellery come into contact with your lotions, creams and perfumes, which contain chemicals harmful to silver.

5.       But don't worry if your sterling silver jewellery seems to blacken faster in summer. The acidity in our sweat and the humidity in the air are the reason for this.

6.       It's best to keep your sterling silver jewellery in a jewellery chest, a closed drawer, or a cloth pouch which will protect against blackening and scratches.

7.       Last but not least, you can wipe down your silver bracelets with a special cloth, available at most reputable jewellery stores.

Now that you've seen how easy it is to care for your sterling sterling silver jewellery, don't compromise on anything less. Sterling silver jewellery is available in a range of styles, so find the items that give you your special sparkle!

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How to polish & smooth sterling silver jewelry after I make it?

I'm making flat necklace charms out of strips of sterling silver. After I cut and file the silver, I need to buff out all the little scratches and make it shiny.

What type of tools do I use to do this?

Thanks

If you are really getting into this craft, consider getting a buffing wheel. A Dremel will work b/c it has a buffing head. Otherwise you can try to use buffers intended for manicures or silver polish and a rag--but this is the drudgery way to go.

The Difference Between Sterling Silver and Silver Plating

Tags: beads, jewelry, shopping, silver, sterling silver, sterling silver charms, sterling silver jewelry, sterling silver rings, sterling silver tarnish, supplies

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 30th, 2010 at 5:25 am and is filed under Hawaii. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.