Next to gold, silver is the second most popular metal from which jewelry is made. Silver jewelry and household items have been discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs and 5,000-year-old civilizations buried by time. Because it is a metal soft enough to be bent, hammered, and melted, it has been used in combination with other metals to craft items from personal adornments to weapons that brought down empires.

Like gold, silver alone is too malleable to hold its shape and needs to be combined in alloys with other metals, usually copper. Silver alloys are expressed in parts per 1000. Britannia silver is 958 units silver, or 95.8% pure silver. Sterling is 925 units silver, or 92.5% pure silver.

The amount of copper mixed with silver does not seem to determine the pricing; it really depends on the workmanship of the piece, whether it is sterling silver table flatware or a silver ring or pendant. If it is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry designed by a silver artisan and cast by the lost wax method, it will be more expensive than a ring, pendant, or cross that is cast with reusable molds. In addition, the craftsmanship in finishing and polishing the item will influence the cost, as will the addition of any gems or stones in the design.

More plentiful worldwide than gold, silver is often found in mining with other metals, such as copper, lead, and arsenic. Its properties of high electrical and thermal conductivity and low contact resistance makes it useful in technology manufacturing. Combined with nitrate, it is photosensitive and is used to develop film. Combined with other chemical compounds, it is used for batteries, cloud seeding, explosives, medicine, instruments, and many other uses. Probably the most common use of silver is in coins worldwide.

In spite of the availability of silver, the high demand in uses other than jewelry keep the price of silver relatively high, but not as high as for gold. As of October 2008, silver is worth about 1/75th the price of gold by mass.

Often sterling silver is the base metal over which gold electroplating is placed, because it is less likely to distort or be damaged than pure gold. Sterling silver jewelry can be plated with a coat of 99% pure silver to give it more shine, called "flashing." Or, to keep it from tarnishing, a thin coat of a very rare metal called rhodium may be electroplated over a silver ring, for instance, for a very bright, white shine.

The popularity of combining silver with turquoise, agate, lapis lazuli and other semi precious stones continues today and is a typical Southwestern jewelry style.

Silver has many practical uses, but the greatest use is for silver jewelry designed into rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and crosses.

Beautiful personalized sterling silver jewelry and sterling with gold overlay can be seen at https://www.personalized-jewelry.com

Each http://www.Personalized-Jewelry.com item is made to your exact specifications and made even more special with the personalization you choose. Create your custom piece to include a loved one's name, a wedding date, a birth date, religious occasion or words that inspire or touch your heart.

The arrival of new baby is always a joyous and momentous occasion for parents, grandparents, god-parents, aunts, uncles, etc. It is an exceptional time for everyone when a new baby enters the world and becomes a part of a family.

One of the most difficult things for some people to do is to choose the perfect new baby gift. One of the best ideas in selecting a gift is to choose a sterling baby gift that can be personalized and dedicated to the new addition. Sterling baby gifts offer the highest quality in a gift that can be used now but will last a lifetime. Sterling baby gifts are a wise investment that will remain an elegant and treasured keepsake.

Sterling baby gifts are not always gender specific on their own which eases the decision process in choosing the perfect gift for baby. This helps especially if you are planning a gift for attending a baby shower before the baby is born. It can always be personalized after the arrival of the little one, which adds to the excitement and sentiment of giving the gift.

Sterling silver baby gifts are among the most sought-after gifts for newborns. What could be more perfect that a Reed & Barton sterling silver feeding set for baby's first bites? Every mealtime can be made more special with 3 piece sets like the Classic Bead, Zoom-Zoom and Sea Tails or the ABC Bear, Pointed Antique and Petite sets, which are 2 piece sets. Other more unique sterling silver baby gifts by Reed & Barton include items such as porringers, cups, musical carousels or globes, and the ever favorite tooth fairy box, which will be used for years to come. Another favorite to give to a newborn, but look forward to sharing with a growing child, are the sterling silver money banks. These special treasures come in many designs such as a duck, pig with wheels, teddy bear (gender versions available), race car or airplane and are sure to please any boy or girl. Many memories and traditions can be made by using these sterling silver money banks to teach a child about saving for their future.

Sterling silver baby gifts add a special touch to any gift-giving occasion for a special child in your life and will remain unforgettable and treasured for a lifetime!

To learn more about sterling baby gifts, visit The Sterling Shoppe

Silver chains are just as sweetly romantic as gold ones. Add a pendant and you've got your own signature style to show off. Before picking up a pendant decide upon the kind of silver chain you wish to buy. There are five kinds to choose from depending upon the silver content in them:

• Pure silver chains are 99% pure, brilliant, harder than gold, extremely malleable into all kinds of designs.
• Sterling silver are made of over 95% purity. Sterling silver is the most popular for use in silver items as it contains the ideal mixture of silver and an alloy - usually copper - without the metal losing its natural shine.
• German or Nickel silver chains don't get corroded easily. However, some people are allergic to German silver because of its nickel content. German silver includes an alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel in varying percentages.
• Oxidized chains have become a rage lately. They are prized for the lack of luster and deep color.

All kinds of pure silver and sterling silver chains look great with an equally bright gemstone pendant. However, for German silver and oxidized chains, you need gemstones with a toned-down luster. Nevertheless, if you're not using gemstone pendants then it is better to match the pendant with the types of links the chains have.

Sterling silver chains with the small box links, or the silver chains with thin snake links go best with equally dainty glass, metal or leather pendants and charms. You can wear a nice pink glass heart or even a nature-motif dog tag pendant with these chains. Cross pendants go best with the thinner chains as you want to highlight the pendant instead of the chain. But this is an exception for cross pendants only. If you pick up a heavy dog tag pendant with a huge skull motif, a thin chain just won't look good with it. Therefore, in the latter case, the chain and the pendant combination have to work together for an interesting effect.

All stainless steel pendants work best with the thin rope sterling silver chains. You can even match dark-tinted pendants in Maltese iron or carbon fiber making with oxidized silver neck chains. Masculine motif pendants like motorbikes go great with oxidized chains.

Sterling silver chains with links of the square Byzantine, thick rope, heart, beaded and confetti kind of links do not require a pendant, as they are showy enough by themselves. Finally, don't get to wear your attitude for with whatever chains and pendants you choose!

Elizabeth Elder is a silver jewelry lover, and ItalianChains.com's head of quality assurance for Sterling Silver Chains. You can find more info on sterling silver and Silver Jewelry Chains

Earrings have always fascinated both men and women as simple accessories. Made in sterling silver they have become a habit for some. Pure silver, which is known as fine silver is very soft in its original form and thus is not preferred in the jewelery industry. This is primarily because it is unable to go through the crafting process without scratches and in most cases cannot take the weight of the gemstones cast in them. Therefore, the best option for silver jewelery is sterling silver, which is an alloy of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals.

Sterling silver earrings are a favorite amongst almost every woman. These are available in varied sizes and go with almost, every attire. Even if the earring is a western design, it does go well with any ethnic garment. These earrings can be crafted as studs, hoops or danglers. Sterling silver earrings are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be any shape or size, from tiny little squares that give a discrete glimmer, to large dangling ones which are very popular. Other shapes include of heart shaped earrings, disc shaped earrings and oblong shaped earrings. Indian sterling silver earrings are usually treated to give an oxidized finish. This is preferred as it gives the earring an ethnic and rustic look which is preferred by Indian women. Many women worldwide prefer the larger and chunkier earrings that are adorned with gemstones as it goes well with traditional dresses. These earrings maybe big in size, but they are not too heavy for the ear lobe. Most commonly these earrings contain stones such as moonstone, pearls, and amethyst.

To gift a piece of jewelry, sterling silver jewelry is one of the best choices. Apart from the Indian chunky earrings, there are smaller dainty ones that are crafted into various shapes. These shapes include that of dolphins, varied hearts, cross, birds, moon, stars, the zodiac signs. By the end of the day, it is all about preference and personality of the wearer. It adds a grand finale to a confident personality at an intimate evening. A complete casual look with shiny silver earrings is also appreciable. All kinds of latest and popular designs are made of the finest silver. Even cubic zirconia, exotic wood or seashells are used to make lovely trinkets. Sterling silver, at times, looks more appealing than platinum or even gold.

Sterling Silver Earrings - As the most highly recognized and respected brand in the entire silver jewelry industry, our buying power and quality of product is second to none.