Silver was discovered at least 6,000 years ago, and since then, has always been considered to be a valuable metal. It was first discovered in the region of Anatolia, now Turkey. With its location strategically straddling Asia and Europe, the mines in Anatolia were the primary sources of this metal for Eastern civilizations in Asia Minor, as well as the flourishing civilizations of Greece and Crete to the West. The first concerted effort to mine and produce it dates back to about 3500 B.C. The major breakthrough in the production occurred in or around 1500 AD with the discovery of the new world. Large mines were opened and operated in Bolivia and Peru in South American. North American production, largely in the Nevada, Colorado and Utah spiked in the late 1800s with the discovery and exploitation of major lodes in these areas. The largest producers today are in North and South America.

Its white luster of silver has made silver the metal of choice for jewelry. The earliest jewelry was quite crude, generally limited to crude nuggets strung together as a necklace. With the advances in extraction, purification, and craftsmanship, it has become extremely popular as fashion jewelry. The beauty, luster, and the ease with which it can be fashioned into superb jewelry are just some of the reasons for the ever-growing popularity of this precious metal in the world of jewelry design. Today it is used to make a wide range of jewelry, including silver pendants.

Designs today can range from simple and elegant, to striking and bold, customized to fit each owner's tastes. Silver jewelry is particularly popular with teens and young adults. Although it is considered to be a precious metal, it costs significantly less than gold or platinum. This is one of the major reasons why it has gained prominence in the world of teen and young-adult fashion jewelry. Fashion jewelry for this demographic today includes pendants, necklaces, bracelets, and waist bands. The popularity of silver in fashion jewelry has also extended into the world of men's jewelry. Cuff links, money clips, and belt buckles are quite popular.

Most silver jewelry on the market today is marked "Sterling Silver" or "925 Silver". What is "sterling silver"? The pure metal is too soft to be used in the manufacture of jewelry. The pure metal is therefore mixed with other metals to form an alloy that has better hardness and strength than the original, untreated metal. According to the Federal Trade Commission in the US, sterling silver must contain at least 92.5% pure silver (hence the term "925 Silver"). Copper is usually added to make up the remaining 7.5%.

This metal today is highly polished so that it reflects light and looks beautiful in fashion jewelry. One drawback of it however, is that even minor impurities cause it to tarnish when exposed to the atmosphere. While this is may be a drawback for certain kinds of fashion jewelry, some artisans use this property to create silver jewelry with an antique finish.

It is important to take good care of silver jewelry in order to maintain its quality and luster. Today, special tarnish prevention cloths or bags are available on the market. Jewelry can be wrapped in these cloths, and then stored in common Ziploc bags. Fashion jewelry can be cleaned using a mild phosphate-free detergent, or a mild, non-abrasive jewelry polish. Although toothpaste is sometimes recommended for cleaning jewelry, some believe that some ingredients in toothpaste can scratch the metal settings, leaving the surface dull. If maintained properly, silver jewelry will essentially last forever.

At a time when most of us long for traditional surroundings, sterling silver continues to blend tradition with functionality. Sterling silver is the gift of choice for many brides who ask for silver products in the form of jewelry, flatware and hollowware. Sterling pattern styles range from traditional to contemporary and are produced by many fine quality silversmiths such as Towle, Lunt, Gorham, Ricci, and Lenox. Nothing can compare to the look of sterling silver flatware which acquires a graceful patina with continued use over time. Using your sterling pieces on a daily basis is the best way to maintain brilliance and shine because tiny surface scratches actually add to the classic beauty of sterling.

The demand for sterling is not only for new products, but also for vintage and antique sterling. Because of its durability and graceful aging, sterling ranks as one of the most popular products among collectors. Candlesticks, candelabras, tea sets, trays and rare serving utensils are still in great demand and command a hefty price at flea markets, antique shows, and estate sales.

Sterling gifts for children are often kept as family heirlooms with special sentimental value. Representing a precious time in life, sterling baby gifts often include rattles, drinking cups, comb and brush sets, teething rings or sterling toothbrushes.

Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, which is added for increased strength. Because of the pliability of sterling, it provides the best medium for creating intricate, detailed designs for forming patterns.

With careful use and occasional polishing, sterling can provide a lifetime of entertaining pleasure, while growing more beautiful and valuable with each passing year.

For more detailed information about care of sterling silver, visit thesterlingshoppe.com, a popular website that offers sterling giftware and provides information about sterling silver.

Sterling silver is an incredibly versatile substance, making it ideal for jewellery. Its strength, lustre and affordability allow designers to create bold and striking silver necklaces, chokers, bracelets, bangles, charms and earrings... With designs ranging from the traditional to the contemporary.

To make the most of Silvers superb lustre and colour designers now work it into different polished states and colours to achieve a wide range of looks. You can choose from the sandblasted rough matte look or oxidized look that comes with chemical blackening or an antique finish with the chemically aged look. Silver jewellery can by shiny, matt, smooth or textured... anything is possible.

It works beautifully with a huge range of gems, semi precious stones and crystals to create beautiful pieces of silver jewellery.

Sterling silver jewellery offers the opportunity to create your own individual style. It can be casual and comfortable, elegant and timeless, dainty or bold. With silver jewellery anything is possible.

Unlike gold, Silvers pure white colour is flattering to all skin tones from blonde to brunette to red head, anyone can wear it. It is timeless & ageless. Silver works as christening gifts for babes in arms, and stylish accessories for glamorous pensioners. Silver reflects light better than any other metal. Worn near the face it throws a luminous reflection onto the face & brightens the eyes.
Silver Jewellery always looks cool and sophisticated. Pieces can be interchanged & mixed and matched for a truly individual looks. Matching silver earrings & silver bracelets can lift a necklace from the everyday into formal evening wear.

Silver pendants are the ultimate fashion accessory. They can be worn on a dainty chain, a leather thong or a silver choker. To really set off an outfit you can hang them from velvet or satin ribbons to match the colour of a favourite top. Stunning. Silver can be combined with a huge variety of gems and semi precious stones to create beautiful, unique pendants.

Silver jewellery works for any occasion, a bold, ethnic necklace for the beach or a dainty necklace & earring for the office. Anything is possible, and with silver jewellery such great value, you can build up a real collection.

Silver Jewellery is the number one accessory with young adults. Sterling silver jewellery offers the versatility that todays stylish teens are looking for at a price they can afford.Silver is also the metal of choice for men. Combined with black leather or rubber for bold necklaces & bracelets, silver can look great on todays modern man.

Catherine D'Arcy is the founder of Corazon Latino, an online retailer specializing in handmade silver jewellery To see their exclusive range of designs, visit Corazon Latino

Jewelry, is the art of ornamental adornment of the body and nowhere on earth can you find more dedication to the heart and soul of the jewelry design than in Italy. While many countries produce jewelry, few can compare to the rich history of Italy and the passion that Italian people have for beautiful design. In times past, jewelry was used to represent a person’s rank in society, community affiliation or as a sign of the person’s religious choice. This tradition began thousands of years ago in southern Italy, the Etruscans created gold jewelry that has never found an equal.

While gold is ever popular, more Italian jewelry designers are turning to sterling silver to express their creativity, such as Stefani Argento, who manufactures beautiful designs exclusively in .925 sterling silver. In Valenza, the famous Italian city which is the undisputed world leader in jewelry designed with precious stones, you will find them combined in remarkable designs in silver.

Because of its high quality, the sterling silver jewelry of Italian designers is in high demand throughout the world. In fact, Italy is the power center of the European jewelry industry, with silver and gold articles covering 70% of the total production. Each year in Italy 500 tons of fine gold, 1400 of silver and 4 of platinum are processed. There are over 10,000 companies operating in jewelry industry, employing 40,000 people for production.

Italy's history of fine jewelry design and craftsmanship continues today in both classical and contemporary styles. While gold designs are prized for their delicate artistry, in sterling silver the trend is oversized. Today's silver jewelry piece does not go unnoticed, the styles vary from sharp, angular shapes with alternating softer, rounder ones. And the Italian designers are working with many different types of elements, mixing and matching to create unusual results. They are taking sterling silver and combining it with natural, semiprecious stones such as agate, mother-of-pearl, onyx, pink quartz and various shades of rhodonite, as well as transparent plexiglass and the diaphanous, elegant reflections of pearls. The "au natural" designs combine wood with silver. Whether it is geometric, romantic, eclectic or unisex, Italian designers like Giuseppe Zantomio, Monica Traquandi and Pianegonda are taking sterling silver to new heights.

Where to Find Italian Designer Sterling Silver Jewelry

The jewelry-making districts of Italy are legend. You will find many top quality Italian designers with sterling silver jewelry showrooms in Arezzo and Vincenza. In addition, there are many manufacturers offering sterling silver and gold designs in these regions: Veneto (Venice), Toscana (Tuscany), Piedmont, Lombardy and Campania.

The designs you will find produced by these craftsmen honor the long history and tradition high quality of Italian silver jewelry. Italy designers are world renowned as the world leader in jewelry production because of their outstanding technical skills, which accounts for the abundance of jewelry schools in most of the cities of Italy, which hosts thousands of jewelry students from all over the world.

Suneva works as part-time copywriter for SAK Jewelry that offers fine fashion jewelry from Italy featuring natural stones and Swarovski crystals.