Sterling | Sterling Silver

November 24, 2009

Things That You Should Know About Sterling Silver

In general, sterling silver really does tarnish. Incase a sales lady tells you that sterling silver never tarnishes, its either she’s lying or she doesn’t really know what’s she’s taking about. Sometimes, jeweler would coat or plate sterling silver jewelry with other metal substance like rhodium and the likes to prevent tarnishing and discoloration. The combining of metal will only prolong the tarnishing process but it can not eradicate the tarnishing itself unless the coating of another substance is so thick that it can protect the sterling silver material of the jewelry.

Sterling silver nowadays is widely used as jewelry, ornaments, decorations and etc. The brightness of sterling silver is uniquely different. It is far from the shine of gold, white gold and other minerals and metals. Sterling silver is not cheap in terms of price. It is only less expensive compared to stainless and white gold. Some sterling silver pieces even comes in a costly price depending on the brand, manufacturer and craftsmanship.

Other people prefer the corroded look for a gothic appeal. This look has been continuously growing its popularity. But, no matter how you like your sterling silver, you have to know that you must only purchase sterling silver that has 925 markings on them. 925 means 92.5% pure sterling silver. This amount or rate does not vary or change. It is a general rule affixed by the government. A sterling silver should be 92.5% pure before it is even considered as sterling silver.

There are the so called high end sterling silver which is commonly done or manufactured by designers such as Tiffany Co. and the likes. Some of these jewelers even offer a free cleaning to their loyal customers. That way cleaning is no longer an issue. But when it comes to daily routine in terms of cleaning and storing, it is essential that you clean your sterling silver every after use. Take time in cleaning before storing your sterling silver and always be reminded to store your sterling silver in an air tight container or zip locks to prevent air from contacting with your jewelry. It is strongly believe that air and light advances the tarnishing either it is a natural light or artificial light.

Toothpaste is said to be the best substance used for cleaning sterling silver but that is not true. Never use toothpaste to clean this kind of jewelry because toothpaste is too harsh and since sterling silver is known as a delicate metal it is not really recommended to use this kind of substance or the likes to clean sterling silver. You can purchase a silver cloth to properly clean and polish your sterling silver at home. Silver cloth can be purchase in supermarkets or hardware.

It is also said that wearing your sterling silver regularly will enhance the glossiness of your sterling silver because the oil in our skin enhances the color of the sterling silver. However, this statement is not applicable if the person has a high acidity level in his/her skin because acidity in the skin may be the actual cause of tarnishing.

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November 23, 2009

Tarnish Free: Sterling Silver

Filed under: Sterling Silver — Tags: sterling, Sterling Silver, tarnish free sterling silver — admin @ 12:00 pm

Sterling silver is sometimes called solid silver, but that is incorrect because sterling silver are always made of only 92.5% pure silver which is an equivalent of 925 parts of pure silver and the reaming parts are mostly made from alloy, usually copper. Other metal like copper is added to sterling silver jewelry to add stiffness because pure silver would come out to be so soft that the jewelry is prone to dents and deformations.

The proportion of 925 never varies because this proportion is affixed by law. Normally you will see that the jewelry has the 925 markings along with the designer’s name or brand.

Sterling silver has this sophisticated look and charm. Sterling silver jewelry is very stylish and has been continuously growing its popularity in all parts of the world. In these present times, sterling silver is even use as engagement rings and wedding rings. Its versatility allows all age and gender to enjoy its look and feel. Some even prefers the tarnish look because it gives the bearer a more distinct gothic appeal.

It is believed that tarnish will not appear on the jewelry if it is worn on a regular basis because the gentle friction and contact of oils from the skin enhances the bright and sparkling look of the jewelry unless the person has a high body or skin acidity or the person is under some sort of medication that rises the level of acidity in his/her body or skin.

One of the methods that you can use to properly clean your sterling silver jewelry is to dilute a mild solution of dishwashing liquid into the water. Soak your jewelry for 2 to 3 seconds, rinse it and wipe it dry. Another way is to combine 2 tablespoonful of baking powder and 2 tablespoonful of salt in an aluminum pan or bowl. Make sure that you are using an aluminum pan or bowl because this will have a big impact in terms of removing the tarnish and stains on your jewelry. Add hot water onto your aluminum pan or bowl mixture. Put the tarnished jewelry inside the mixture and let it sits there for a while. You will see that the tarnish or stain is slowly disappearing. Rinse and wipe it dry. Store your sterling silver in an airtight container or Zip locks because moisture and air can actually invite tarnish.

A simpler way to remove mild cases of tarnished sterling silver jewelry is the use of silver cloth. You can purchase silver cloth in supermarkets or hardware. Normally a silver cloth comes in two parts: the cleaning cloth and the polishing cloth.

Since sterling silver is considered as a delicate metal, make sure that your sterling silver does not contact with any harsh substances such as perfumes, alcohol, soaps, and hair products like hair sprays or gel because this will advance the oxidation inviting tarnish or oxidation to start.

Prevention is better than cure. So, be sure to clean your sterling silver jewelry every after use. Take time in cleaning.

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November 20, 2009

Tips to Keep Your Sterling Silver Tarnish Free

Filed under: Sterling Silver — Tags: sterling, Sterling Silver, sterling silver tarnish free — admin @ 12:00 pm

Sterling silver is continuously growing its popularity from before until the present times. Some jewelers even come up with sterling silver that has already been tarnish. They claim that this design or style is highly fashionable and is very in for the Gothic look. In general, sterling silver is a delicate metal that is prone to tarnishing. If you don’t take good care of your sterling silver, the tarnishing will rapidly advance. In this article, you will learn the proper ways on how to clean, maintain and store your sterling silver. In line to the said discussion, are few preventive measures that you can do to avoid the unwanted tarnishing.

Let’s begin with proper cleaning. Make sure to clean your sterling silver before and after use. Use a silver cloth to clean your sterling silver. Most silver cloth comes in two parts: first cloth would be the cleaning cloth and the second cloth would be the polishing cloth. Incase you don’t have a silver cloth, then you can also use a clean old
T-shirt or a flannel cloth as a cleaning alternative. These alternatives can help you clean your sterling silver however; it cannot give you that polish look like the silver cloth can. Silver cloths are also used to seize or remove tarnishing when it is still in its early stage.

Sterling silver tarnishes or corrodes because of many factors. It could be the climate, the level of acidity in your body, close contact with substances that advances tarnishing and improper cleaning techniques. That is why it is essential for you to know that sterling silver should be put away or remove when you apply your lotion, perfume or hair products such as hairspray. These chemicals will definitely invite tarnishing. Should you already applied these substances take a few seconds or minutes to ensure that the substances has already been absorb by the skin before putting on your sterling silver jewelry.

Another ways on how you can maintain your sterling silver shinny, glossy and tarnish free is to ensure that you keep it away from air and light. When storing your sterling silver, make sure that you clean it and wipe it first then store it in an airtight container or zip locks. It is believe that less air and light exposure could help lessen the chances of tarnishing especially when you are not using or wearing your sterling silver jewelry. It is believed that air and humid invites tarnishing. That is why you should not leave your sterling silver jewelry exposed to moist and air because it becomes inevitable.

Incase, the sterling silver jewelry is already suffering from severe tarnishing and your silver cloth is not helping anymore, it is advisable to bring it to your jeweler already. Never attempt to clean it by using alcohol or other harsh substance because this might worsen the case of your sterling silver. Remember, I’ve mentioned that silver is a delicate metal and should be handled with care so never attempt any measures of cleaning or treating especially if you are not quite sure of what you are doing.

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November 18, 2009

Sterling Silver Jewelry and How It Tarnishes

Filed under: Sterling Silver — Tags: jewelry, sterling, sterling silver jewelry, sterlng silver — admin @ 12:00 pm

For hundreds or even thousands of years, people have been using silver in creating beautiful jewelry pieces. These adorn the royalties and influential people, but notably kings, queens, princes and princesses and other noble individuals. Sterling silver, which means it is made of 92.5 percent pure silver, is the metal of choice of many jewelers even in the old days because of the ease of use in shaping it into almost any jewelry piece that they want.

Women have adorned themselves with silver earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Men on the other hand have used it for their rings and nowadays, for cuff links. Even children today are adorned by their parents with little sterling silver jewelry that shine whenever they are playing in the sun. This shows that silver is the one metal that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

But it is not just the gender and the age that makes silver a very likable piece of jewelry metal. Because of its very affordable price, silver is a constant favorite among all people for their daily jewelry. For example, if you are just going to the office and you still want to adorn yourself with a piece of jewelry, you definitely do not want a highly expensive gold jewelry. What you want is an equally beautiful jewelry that is made of the less expensive silver so in case that it gets lost or worse, if stolen, it will not hurt your pocket that much. Of course it is a completely different matter if that sterling silver jewelry has sentimental value for you.

So how does silver tarnish? It can easily be tarnished if it is exposed to hydrogen sulfide. This substance can be found in rubber materials such as gloves and bands. There are other factors that can make a silver tarnish but this is the most common one. Weather changes can also be a factor as well as other every day items like eggs. That is why you will not see chefs wearing a silver ring while preparing food.

You can say that silver tarnishes because it loses its gleam or its shine that you noticed the first time you saw it. Over time, this gleam fades away that is why it is highly advisable that you should clean your sterling silver jewelry as often as you can to prevent losing its luster as well as to maintain its existing gleam.

One way to prevent your silver from tarnishing is to buy a do it yourself jewelry cleaning kit. It usually includes a cleaning mixture and a sponge or a piece of cloth specifically designed for cleaning jewelry. But most professionals would rather advice you to just bring your silver jewelry to a jewelry shop where they can professionally clean your jewelry for you. This second option is a better one but it will of course cost you more money to have it cleaned by someone else. Anyway, do not mind the added expense as long as you can be sure that your jewelry will be properly cleaned for it to last longer.

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November 17, 2009

Sterling Silver Jewelry for Affordable Adornments

Filed under: Sterling Silver — Tags: jewelry, sterling, Sterling Silver, sterling silver jewelry — admin @ 12:00 pm

A lot of people feel that they always should be wearing a piece of jewelry whenever they go out. Some even when they are just staying in their homes. They even claim that they usually feel naked when they are not wearing any jewelry at all. You might think that it is quite an absurd claim, but the fact is people have their own strange characteristics and to some, wearing jewelry may be an important part of their whole being. But what will you do if you are not well off? If you have very limited budget in purchasing the kind of jewelry that you want? Usually this kind of jewelry comes in the form of gold, platinum and other precious metals adorned with diamonds and other highly valuable stones or gems. But if you do not have the money for all of these, then you can turn to buying a sterling silver jewelry that is equally beautiful but at just a portion of the price of most jewelry sets.

Rings, bracelets, earrings, chains, necklaces and more, just name it and you can be sure to find a silver jewelry of that shape or purpose. In the past, silver is highly priced as a precious metal and usually adorns kings and queens of old. But the abundance of silver deposits or sources is perhaps the one great factor that made its price go lower than gold. But still the significance of it as a metal for jewelry making has not faded but in fact has grown since it has now become so much more affordable for the masses to adorn themselves with stunningly beautiful pieces of jewelry that are made of sterling silver.

Keep in mind that silver used in jewelry making are usually 92.5 percent pure silver. It is mixed with another metal to make it stronger because pure silver is very soft and can easily be scratched. So when you are in the market for a silver jewelry, make sure that what you are buying is made of 92.5 percent pure silver which is the highest amount used by jewelry makers today.

In fact, that soft or malleable property of silver makes it a favorite for jewelry makers because it is very easy to shape a piece of silver into any design imaginable. And because it is priced so much lower than gold, jewelers can create as many designs or versions of a popular design as they want. And in return, people can buy any sterling silver jewelry that they adore. For this reason it comes as no surprise that you see people from all walks of life wearing a set of lovely jewelry as they walk down the street or just go out with their friends for a nice chit chat.

Sterling silver is very affordable but that does not mean it is admired less. On the contrary, more people own this type of jewelry as compared to gold or platinum, which are both very expensive and are usually beyond the purchasing power of most people. So take care of your silver jewelry and clean it as often as needed and you will find that it will last for as long as you want it to last.

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