The trend of silver jewelry is increasing tremendously, because of low cost and marvellous finish of the ornaments. There are a few things, which need to be kept in mind, while you are making your decision. Silver jewelry needs to be kept with care and also purchased with proper choice and some necessary things to be kept in mind.
There are several factors that you should consider before buying sterling silver jewelry:
- In case, you are purchasing a plated jewelry, it will be labelled as ‘silver plated’, ‘silver coated’ or ‘plated with silver’. In case, you are looking for a lower cost sterling jewelry, you might seek it according to your liking.
- Silver jewelry is priced, on the basis of content of the precious metal, additional to the craftsmanship, which goes to the manufacturing of an ornament. When you are judging the worth of an item, you need to keep in consideration, which goes to making the piece.
- The main consideration of labelling a jewelry as silver, sterling, solid silver or sterling silver etc. must be at least 92.5% pure silver. The ornaments are stamped 925, 92.5, .925, depending on the different manufacturers. The labelling rules are forced by FTC (Federal Trade Commission), such that you are always sure of what you are buying is authentic.
- Examine the jewelry item for highly qualitative construction. The faulty or poorly designed clasps can also result in the loss of your piece. Catches need to work with ease and remain secured in many circumstances. The silver chains need to be made flat and if the piece is plated, it should be a thick and even layer on the ornament surface.
- You need to be very careful about the chemicals, which come to contact with precious metal. Avoid the direct interaction with perfumes, oil, rubber, lotions or hair sprays. This will prevent them to get tarnish.
- The higher end silver purchases need to have other markings, trademarks or hallmarks, for indication about other aspects about the silver. You need to make consultation with your jeweller, for taking help in determining the meaning of markings.
- You need to remove silver jewelry, while making use of ammonia, nail polish, bleach, alcohol, as these can damage your ornaments.
- The regular cleansing is important for keeping the silver ornaments appear brand new. The local multi-purpose store or jeweller even has products, which clean and protect the jewelry, along with special lint-free cloths for cleansing. Some people use toothbrush, which is not a right idea and can be abrasive.
- Silver needs to be stored in air tight container, for prevention of tarnish. This will avoid the blackish color on the silver material.
- You should keep the silver to look great and enhance its life by wearing it and making proper use of it. The natural oils inside your skin can act as a barrier against chemical damage of silver surface. It needs to be avoided for a proper use.
You can make a wise purchase and keep proper care for your sterling silver ornaments for keeping them look beautiful.
