A sterling silver piece of jewelry may not be as expensive as gold or platinum, but are equally beautiful and stunning. It is usually a choice of preference by ladies who do not want to spend too much on their jewelry, especially if it is just for daily use. But that does not mean you should be very lax in buying a silver jewelry. There are still some important things that you should know before you finally end up purchasing a piece of jewelry and here are a few of them.
1. There is no such thing as 100 percent sterling silver.
Keep in mind that just like with gold, silver is very malleable, meaning it is very soft and that if it is made into any useful thing without any additional metal, it can easily be deformed. That is why you will usually see jewelry advertised as 92.5 percent pure silver, and never 100 percent. Sometimes it is also described as .925, 925 or just 92.5. These are all the same and it is just a matter of preference by the seller on how he or she would mention the amount of silver in that piece of jewelry.
2. The design also dictates the price.
It is not just the amount of pure silver that constitutes a piece of jewelry that determines its price, it is also the level of craftsmanship that has been incorporated in the design and construction. Just like with any other pieces of jewelry that are made of more precious metals, a silver jewelry will cost more if it is elaborately designed and of bigger size.
3. Keep your silver jewelry away from everyday chemicals.
These chemicals come in the form of the things that you usually put on your body. Examples of these are perfumes, alcohol, lotion and many more. While generally common everyday mixtures like these are safe, there are still some that can tarnish or cause your jewelry to fade. Just to be on the safe side, put on your silver jewelry last after you have done all of your other bodily rituals.
4. Inspect all of the pieces that make up the jewelry.
Are the latches working perfectly and smoothly? Does the latch or clip snap into place and can you feel that it holds securely? A good piece of sterling silver jewelry is always built and designed to last for many years. You can always feel a high quality work just by trying out its parts.
5. Also buy a cleaning kit for your silver jewelry.
A sterling silver piece of jewelry will naturally fade as it ages. There is no need to worry about this as it is also very easy to clean it and bring it back to its original luster. You can either bring it back to the jewelry store from which you bought it to have it cleaned or you can clean it yourself. When you purchase your jewelry, you can also buy a cleaning kit which is very inexpensive and lets you do the cleaning yourself. There is a certain level of advantage when you clean your jewelry yourself. One is that you get to know more about your jewelry and second, you further understand how to take care of it properly.
