Silver has been a popular choice of metal, aside from gold, in the manufacturing of jewellery. In fact, it has gain popularity over the years since silver is undeniably cheaper than gold. But even with its relatively affordable price, silver is very pretty to look at. That is why it is used to make different jewelry such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces and so much more. There is a wide range of men's silver jewelry to choose from especially in online shops.

Silver has an exciting property in that it reflects 95% of the light that gets to its surface. It such a beauty to look at since it sparkles even with any type of light that falls on it. This reflective property of silver makes is one of the reasons why it is a popular metal to use for accessories. Another property of silver that is to the materials advantage is that it is one of the softest metals and is very malleable. Silver can be made into different shapes and have the property to be melted then cooled and reformed. It can also be pounded into very thin sheets that is even thinner than human hair. Silver has another interesting property which is called alloying. Alloying means that pure silver can be mixed with other metals for more durability, for example mixing silver and copper creates what is called as sterling silver.

Sterling silver is the silver that is used for men's silver jewellery. Because silver is soft, as mentioned, sterling being 92.5% silver is the best option to use for jewelry and silverware as it can withstand daily use. Even if sterling may not be pure silver, it is very strong yet workable. It is also known for its beauty that lasts a long time.

When buying men's silver jewellery, you have to look for the stamps of quality to ensure that you are getting authentic silver and not just some silver ripoff. Most silver jewelry comes with a quality mark which shows the metal content and the registered trademark of the manufacturer. Authentic silver jewelry can be identified with a lion or leopard mark if it is made in the United Kingdom. If the jewelry is made from any other country, it usually is marked with a .925 or the word sterling. Be sure to look for the fineness mark and the maker's mark on your jewelry to assure its quality.

Once you have bought your silver jewellery, it is important that you take care of it to maintain its beauty. In order to do so, you must store your jewelry in a cloth pouch and avoid cleaning it with household chemicals such as bleach and ammonia. Also avoid wearing jewelry when swimming in chlorinated water. Sometimes, silver tarnishes as a result of its reaction with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide but this can be remedied by using specially formulated polishes that removes the tarnish.

One best way to avoid tarnish is by wearing your silver jewelry regularly. It is the reason why you bought one in the first place anyway;to be able to wear it and show its beauty to the public.

© 2008 Jason Tye. Jason Tye is the webmaster and owner of the mens designer jewelry emporium - homme rock, specializing in quality, designer jewelry and rings, for men.

As a fashion statement, silver jewelry is definitely to be reckoned with these days. Not only is it quite a bit less expensive than it's counterpart in gold, but it will usually go well with most types of clothing.

Wholesale silver jewelry can be obtained from many places, however, the Internet will surely give access to the greatest selection and the lowest prices - all available at your fingertips.

Start your search online - just as when searching for any other type of jewelry. Aside from there being a vast number of sites online where you can get your hands on wholesale jewelry, there will also be a subset of these who specialize even further, including for silver jewelry. By going the wholesale route, it is possible to find great savings over purchasing items individually.

Something to bear in mind whenever you are planning on buying wholesale silver jewelry is that it ought be 'sterling' silver. Sterling is a grade of silver which is 92.5% silver, while the rest consists of assorted other metals, mostly copper - and is normally marked with the number 925. It is the best grade of silver that you can purchase, and it should be remembered that there is no high grade or low grade sterling silver - there is only 'sterling silver' quality.

The basic factor in deciding how great a bargain the cost of the piece is, will likely be the weight of the sterling silver part of the item. However, if the jewelry was hand made, it will in all probability be considerably more pricey than other items which are similar, but were not made by hand.

When owning silver jewelry, a fact that must be dealt with is that it tarnishes - it makes no difference if it's sterling silver or some other type of silver. There are various makes of silver polish which can be found on the shelves of your supermarket or hardware store, which are helpful for keeping silver clean and shiny, and if you would like to have your silver jewelry maintain it's shine, you will have to clean and polish it on a constant basis. An average timetable might be to polish the silver approximately once a week.

Obtaining silver jewelry in wholesale lots is the ideal method, as it is already comparatively cheap, and becomes yet more so at wholesale prices. When looking at such jewelry, the quality of the silver is not where your primary concern should be - assuming of course that it is sterling silver. It is really the stones and settings which are mounted on the piece that should be kept in mind.

It is important to find out if the jewelry is of solid construction, besides checking to see if the mounted gems are real and not simulated (provided that is what you are primarily after).

Obviously, whenever actual gems, such as diamonds, are part of the item, the price of the jewelry will be quite a bit higher. In the end, purchasing your silver jewelry in wholesale lots, will unquestionably give you great savings over buying single items.

If you are looking for a bargain, come and visit JewelryOnOffer.com where you can find many Wholesale Silver Jewelry Items along with various other products such as Emerald Diamonds .

When you think of a sterling silver pendant, you may think of using it exclusively on a necklace. While this is the most obvious and original use, there are a number of ways that you can display your sterling silver pendants with a little creativity.

First and foremost, your sterling silver pendant is a precious metal. It’s durable, hard-wearing and this means you can maximize your wear without compromising the quality of your jewelry. With this in mind, consider using your sterling silver pendant as a charm. If you own a rolo bracelet, you can attach your pendant with a simple jump-ring. If you own any type of bracelet that will accommodate the bail of your pendant by placing it into the clasp, you will have the instant look of a charm bracelet. Best of all, you can easily remove the pendant and place it back on your necklace and this maximizes your jewelry wardrobe in a way that’s truly ‘charming.’

If you have pierced ears, you may also be able to use two identical sterling silver pendants as charms by placing them on hoop earrings. Many bails will easily slide over the tube of a hoop earring, which gives you the instant look of earring charms. The most important aspect of this approach is to make sure that the pendants aren’t so heavy that they pull the earring down or cause you discomfort. For this approach, a lightweight pendant is the best idea and will give you the best results.

When worn traditionally, sterling silver pendants are beautiful. If you want to enjoy the look of a necklace but desire a more updated look, the task is simple. You can created a multi-strand necklace by threading several chains through the bail and wearing them as one necklace. If you’re still in the mood for a different style, consider wearing your sterling silver pendant on a single necklace that measures 16" or 18". You can then frame this ensemble by adding a plain necklace that measures at least 2" longer than the one featuring your pendant. This gives you an updated look that’s sure to be on trend and in style.

In conclusion, your sterling silver pendants can provide you with a stunning look in neck wear and they can also offer you versatile options when it comes to other jewelry items. By changing the look of your collection by simply using each piece to its greatest potential, you are truly getting the best value for your dollar.

Almost Diamonds, a popular online retailer specializing in sterling silver jewelry, has a complete line of items featuring cubic zirconia and genuine gemstones in a variety of styles to choose from. If you are looking to maximize your jewelry collection without minimizing your wallet, consider the affordable option of sterling silver. Not only is this a precious metal that’s designed to last forever, but it also is an economical way to get the look of platinum or white gold without spending a fortune. For more information on sterling silver jewelry and sterling silver pendants, visit Almost Diamonds at http://www.almostdiamonds.com

Silver Facts

Posted by Admin | 5:34 AM | | 0 comments »

Silver the Metal

Silver, used in its raw form, is about 99.9% pure and is too soft for producing large durable objects which is why in Sterling silver, copper is alloyed with the silver metal to give the metal strength while retaining the same physical characteristics of ductility and high metal content of fine silver.

Origin of Sterling

Silver sterling was a term coined in England during the 13th century. There are several sources of the term sterling and one of these is when it was first mentioned as sterilensis in 1070 AD. Sterling silver then started appearing more frequently in the history books by 1200 AD. The origin of sterling is known to come from esterlin (Old Norman French) which means little star and steire (Old English) which means strong, immovable and firm.

How Sterling Silver Was Introduced in Households

Sterling Silver was initially popularized during the period of 1840 to 1940 in the US and Europe. The hype with silver started with flatwares which became the standard when setting the table in any household. During the Victorian period, the number of courses increased from three to ten or more courses. Even the forks, spoons and knives used were customized to match the courses offered.

Slowly the silver craze was extended to other objects used both in offices and homes. But by World War II, the costs increased so much so that sterling fell out of favor around that time. At that point, only the well-off could afford to maintain the number of servants required for the ten courses served during meals.

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