As such, many of our silver heirlooms and keepsakes are usually collected for keeps. The main problem is how to maintain their look and shine for the longest possible time. Here are a few valuable but very easy tips on how to prolong the beauty of your sterling silver jewelry pieces.

1. Keep your sterling silver pieces separate from your other jewelry. If possible, try to segregate precious metals accordingly: gold with gold, platinum with platinum and silver with silver. Although it is possible to keep your jewelry pieces in one container, there will always be instances wherein the metal bands and clasps might rub against clasps and fasteners. This might cause slight but still unwanted damages like scratches and loose links. This is especially true for jewelry pieces with gem settings. Diamonds in particular are notorious for leaving scratches and streaks on sterling silver bands.

Speaking of diamonds, if you have silver jewelry pieces topped with such gems, it might be a good idea to keep these in separate velvet lined containers or pouch bags. This will help prolong the beauty of the said pieces along with rest of the jewelry in your collection.

2. Once your jewelry pieces are segregated according to precious metals, you might want to consider getting those small, air-tight, transparent containers for your sterling silver jewelry. Containers like these not only limits the possibility of scratches and dents; but it also keeps out oxygen which when combined with other airborne chemicals and dust, might cause the precious metal to tarnish and discolor. You can use these containers on jewelry pieces that you wear occasionally.

3. When you store away your jewelry, make sure your silver pieces, particularly bracelets, dangling earrings, necklaces, etc. are lying flat in their storage containers. Hanging them on bracelet clips, earring brackets and necklace hooks will put more pressure on their links. And that can lead to the settings and links getting a bit looser as time passes. Also, keeping your silver pieces lying flat minimizes the potential of accidentally snagging them on other jewelry.

4. One of the best ways of maintaining the shine and color of sterling silver pieces is to simply wear them regularly. The natural oils on your skin can act as a preventive measure against chemical damage. However, make sure that you keep heavy creams and solutions away from the actual jewelry pieces so as not to tarnish the metal surface. Some of the things that should never come in contact with silver are: ammonia, bleach, ethyl alcohol, hairspray (and any kind of aerosol products,) lotions, nail polish, oil, paint, perfumes, rubber, and varnish.

1. First thing you have to look for is that 92.5% or .925 or 925 tag that specifically states that the website is selling sterling silver pieces. This tagging practice is mandatory to all sterling silver vendors and jewelry makers. Without this, there is no guarantee that the pieces you buy are made from this precious metal. But even when a site promotes this tag, make sure that each and every individual piece you peruse also has this description. Once in a while you will see a (for example) stainless steel jewelry piece accidentally inserted among the genuine precious metal; and it will not do you any good to fall for this tiny “error.”

Be extra attentive to product descriptions, especially if you are buying sterling silver pieces with mixed media. Mixed media simply means that you are buying jewelry that is combined either with other precious metals (e.g. silver-gold or silver-platinum or silver-stainless steel) or with gems (silver ring with amethyst setting, or silver earrings with cubic zirconia settings or silver choker with diamond stars.)

Precious metals and gems (e.g. gold, platinum, amethyst and diamond) can make the prices go up considerably, but other materials (e.g. stainless steel and cubic zirconia) are usually valued less.

2. Buy only from web sites you trust. Naturally enough, there are many online retailers and direct sellers of sterling silver jewelry pieces. Some are old hands in this business while there are fair numbers of promising new sites that offer newer designs and at more reasonable prices. However, there will always be a few unscrupulous dealers hiding behind well designed and very enticing web pages. The best way to avoid these would be to simply subscribe to websites you trust.

If you do not have any such sites on your current list of potential sterling silver vendors, you might want to ask friends, family members and acquaintances for recommendations. Try not to give too much stock on customer testimonials especially if these are found within the website itself. These are very biased reviews aimed at enticing people to buy their wares.

If you are checking out new sites, try to make sure that the web sites you are looking into have: money back guarantees, return policies, customer service lines, and shipment tracking services. All these information can usually be seen at the top or bottom of the web pages.

3. Lastly, always print or save a copy of the jewelry pieces you buy. This is the best way of comparing the jewelry piece you ordered from the website and the one that is delivered to your home. Try not to rely on the pictures on the sites itself, as the webmasters can change these or delete them all together without your knowledge.

As such, it would be easy enough to follow the silver jewelry-wearing crowd since some pieces can be bought at very affordable prices. However, if this is your first time buying sterling silver, or you are rather concerned about the prices of the said pieces, then here are some essential jewelry-buying tips you can try.

1. Set a budget immediately. It does not matter if you are buying the sterling silver jewelry for you or as a gift to someone else, but it never does anyone any good if you spend too much money on a singular purchase. By limiting your expenditure from the onset, you can focus your attention on the quality of the sterling silver and the marksmanship of the jewelry pieces.

You do not need to worry about getting the shorter end of the stick too. There are scores upon scores of jewelry makers and sellers out there who can provide you a range of designs to choose from, at the rates you can afford.

2. Decide early on whether or not you want a new sterling silver piece or a previously owned one. New jewelry can be bought at any sterling silver jewelry store. Just make sure though that you check beforehand whether or not these contain 92.5% pure silver. Many of the new pieces carry modern and delicate looking designs, but there are those that specialize in Old World designs or antique looking jewelry pieces too.

Judging the quality of previously owned jewelry like antiques or jewelry being sold by someone else can be a little tricky. It would be best to have these looked over first by a professional jewelry appraiser before you commit to anything. After all, not everything that looks like sterling silver is sterling silver. Some of these may only be silver plated, while others may be made from other metals like stainless steel or lower grade silver.

3. Choose only the pieces that look great on you. This literally means that you have to try on the jewelry first before placing your credit card on the counter. Although there is a lot to be said about the convenience of online and TV shopping, there are still more merits when buying jewelry pieces personally.

For one thing, you get the fit just right. This is especially true for rings, chokers and other tight fitting jewelry pieces. Secondly, you can see for yourself whether or not the jewelry suits your sense of style, your skin color and even the dimension of your face. This is applicable if you are buying necklaces, earrings or matching jewelry sets.

Lastly, you can personally check the quality of the precious metal if it is free from scratches or tarnish, while checking the marksmanship of the jewelry itself. Try to make sure that the clasps are secure but easy to use, and that there are no loose links or potentially problematical areas.

Additionally, sterling silver jewelry does not look as ostentatious as gold, even the very large pieces. And it also helps that the prices for the jewelry made from this precious metal are also wallet friendlier, especially for the budget conscious buyer. But are all sterling silver jewelry pieces the same? Well, not quite. Here are a few essential tips on how to buy good quality silver jewelry.

1. Make sure that you are indeed getting sterling silver pieces if that is what you want. There is sterling silver and then there are jewelry made from lower grade materials. The first thing you should look for are tags that indicate that you are buying sterling silver with 92.5% (or 925 or .925) pure silver. Placing these tags on their wares is mandatory for all silver jewelry sellers. So it just follows that if the pieces you are buying are not tagged accordingly, then you might be looking at silver plated jewelry. The latter is usually 25% to 70% less expensive than pieces made from the real precious metal.

It is also a good thing to remember that not everything that has a silver shine is made from silver. For example: stainless steel jewelry pieces may look like silver jewelry, but these cost almost 50% or less than sterling silver pieces. White gold also resembles silver sometimes, and these might cost more than their silver counterparts.

2. Check for the quality of the silver. As a rule, silver is a very hardy material. It can resist scratching, dents and bends. Only if the jewelry pieces are subjected to extreme forms of stress can you actually disfigure or twist the metal out of shape. However, it still pays to check the surface of the metal for these, especially if you are buying antique or previously owned jewelry. Dents or any permanent damage on the surface of the metal is usually a good reason to haggle for lower prices.

At most though, you might be dealing with tarnished silver, which is often seen with a grayish, greasy-looking surface. In other cases, slight discoloration happens with hues of blue and green visible in some areas when light hits the surface. Fortunately enough, tarnished silver can be cleaned up successfully. If possible, ask the jewelry seller to clean and polish the pieces first before you buy it. This way, you can actually see whether or not the asking price is really worth it.

However, the most common question that many people are asking these days is: are all sterling silver pieces really worth their price tags? If you are making the same inquiry, then here are some things you must consider first before investing your money on one or more jewelry pieces.

1. Make sure that you are indeed buying sterling silver! There is a big difference between buying sterling silver and silver plated jewelry. The former should be made from 92.5% (or slightly higher) pure silver, and labeled accordingly. Without this label, or if the jewelry pieces are tagged with less than the aforementioned amount, then the pieces should be relatively inexpensive.

At the same time, try to avoid buying silver pieces that have the 100% pure silver tag. As a rule, pure silver is not recommended for jewelry making because that means that the precious metal would be too soft to work with. The small percentage of metal alloys added to the silver helps make it stronger and able to withstand normal wear and tear. Very few scrupulous jewelry makers and sellers advertise the “100% pure silver” tag. So in case you do find one, it would be best to not to buy the said pieces.

Silver plated jewelry, on the other hand can be made from any semi-precious material (e.g. stainless steel) and given a thin coat of sterling silver. These are often labeled as “silver coated jewelry” or “plated with silver,” and can indeed be sold off very cheaply. Prices for these pieces are also dependent on how thick and even the layer of pure silver coating is. However, the silver coating can wear off in time. And these pieces are not usually considered at par (in terms of quality) with jewelry made from pure silver.

2. Aside from the value of the precious metal, try to make sure that you buy impeccable work as well. Sterling silver pieces are usually considered more hard-wearing than gold, and less likely to tarnish than platinum. So it would be best to really inspect the precious metal when you go shopping. One of the first things you have to look out for is any visible sign of tarnish. Silver should have an even color all throughout. Any iridescent shine of blue, green or even certain amounts of murkiness on the surface are all signs of metal tarnish.

It also pays to check the clasps and links of the sterling silver pieces. If these feel fragile or flimsy, then you are probably holding a poorly constructed jewelry piece… even if it is indeed made from 92.5% silver. These should be sold off cheaply as well.