All About Sterling Silver
Have you seen a movie or a TV show set in the Victorian period, where people or royalty are dining, and they are using silver wares? And Most of the items they have in their castles are made from silver? It is because silver items are considered as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. There’s a catch though, most of those items are not pure silver, those are mostly made from sterling silver.
Now, before you get around to thinking that sterling silver is not a real silver, sterling silver is a real silver. It is an alloyed form of silver. It is a mixture of a few metals: 92.5% silver, and the remaining 7.5% can be a combination of metals, mostly copper or zinc, and other metals. Furthermore, it is, however, stronger than pure silver, because silver is a soft metal, which is prone to dents and scratches, thereby adding other metals makes sterling silver harder and more durable compared to pure silver. That's why it is mostly used for jewelry, silverware, plates, platters, and other items.
Nowadays, sterling silver is mostly used for jewelry. Sterling silver is great for jewelry pieces, as it is lightweight and stronger than gold, it can also be worn daily. It can suit anyone, it is versatile, sophisticated, affordable and timeless. It is the whitest among the precious metals and harder than gold, but still malleable and more pliable, which makes it popular to jewelry makers and designers.
There are many gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings pieces made from sterling silver to choose from. If you plan to collect sterling silver jewelry pieces, you should also know how to care for it.
Here are some care and cleaning tips:
- Sterling silver needs cleaning on a regular basis, use a simple polish with a soft microfiber cloth.
- Clean your sterling silver with a sterling silver jewelry cleaner, it's easy to find online or in stores.
- Humidity can cause the sterling silver to tarnish, that is why it is important to store it in a jewelry box or other enclosed container.
- Never wear sterling silver jewelry when you go swimming, especially in salt water, because salt can corrode your sterling silver.
- Also, apply your perfume or perhaps hairspray before putting on your sterling silver jewelry, as it can damage your favorite jewelry.
How to check for Authenticity
You can check the authenticity of your sterling silver by checking the stamp, usually, it's stamped with 925 or SS, however, stamping jewelry is not a legal requirement for most countries. You can also check by using a strong magnet, if the magnet strongly attracts and sticks to your jewelry then it's not sterling silver. It can be silver plated. However, those are not 100% accurate also, so it is better if you just buy your silver sterling jewelry at your trusted jewelry store.
