|
Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft,
very malleable, and easily damaged. It is commonly combined with other metals
to produce a more durable product. This
article provides a survey of the most common types of silver that are used in
jewelry today and how to care of them.
The most popular is sterling silver, which consists of 92.5
percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. Any metal can make up the 7.5 percent
non-silver portion of sterling. Centuries of experimentation have shown copper
to be its best alloy. It improves the metal's hardness and durability without
affecting its beautiful color.
The small amount of copper added to sterling has very little
effect on the metal's value. The price
of the silver item is affected by the labor involved in making the item, the
skill of the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design.
Most high quality silver items are stamped with a
"fineness" or "quality" mark. This mark designates the precious metal content of the
jewelry, and under federal law, must be accompanied by a maker's mark or
registered trademark.
Because pure silver is so soft, it should only be used when
malleability is required, such as in handcrafted jewelry featuring weaving and
other intricate designs. Sterling silver is most often used for jewelry and
household accessories because of its combination of beauty and durability.
Acceptable quality marks for sterling silver include: sterling,
sterling silver and sterling silver.92.
With proper care, fine quality silver will last a lifetime.
To minimize scratches and other damage store silver jewelry either in a cloth
pouch or in a separate compartment in your jewelry box.
Avoid exposing silver to household chemicals when cleaning
with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these
chemicals can damage silver.
Care should also be taken to prevent silver tarnish
build-up. This is a dulling
that naturally occurs when silver reacts with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide in the
air. To clean silver, use polishes
formulated specifically to remove tarnish. These
can be found in fine silver polishes, solutions. In addition, you can use
appropriate cloths to remove tarnish, which can be found at most hardware
stores or specialty craft stores.
Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes
visible. Wearing silver jewelry often is the best way to prevent tarnish from
building up. Regular cleaning of all your silver items will prevent
tarnish and keep your silver bright and sparkling.
To ensure the quality, when buying silver jewelry look for
the fineness mark and the maker's mark on the underside of the silver item you
are considering. Once you have purchased your silver jewelry, then heed the
tips for care and you will enjoy a lifetime of wearability.
Ron Peterson writes for Lewis Jewelers. Lewis Jewelers is
proud to carry the full line of Pandora Jewelry. For more information, contact
Lewis Jewelers at 877-88-LEWIS or visit http://www.LewisJewelers.com/pandora_bracelets/ or http://www.lewisjewelers.com .
|
tweet this!
