Sterling silver jewelry has been a popular commodity for thousands of years. One of the obvious reasons is the affordability over other precious metals gold and platinum. The large variety of sterling silver jewelry requires certain knowledge in order to choose the right piece and also keep it in good condition as long as possible. The followings are the most common questions concerning sterling silver jewelry.

How do I clean sterling silver jewelry?

It depends. Usually, it is sufficient to use a jewelry cloth (with two layers of cloths in different colors) that you can get from a jewelry accessory store. Don’t use any hard object to clean sterling silver jewelry; even paper towel could scratch the surface. You should rub any dirt off using a jewelry cloth, not fingernails. Silver-dip is another commonly used sterling silver jewelry cleaner, which can also be obtained from jewelry store. The entire silver jewelry is immerged in the solution for half a minute to a minute and then rinsed with water. Make sure the silver jewelry is not plated with any other metal before using the silver-dip or the plating will be damaged.

Where do I store sterling silver jewelry?

It is very important to store sterling silver jewelry properly when it is not used. The ideal place to store sterling silver jewelry is cool and away from sunlight. Heat and light will turn a silver jewelry yellow and cause it to tarnish quickly. Even indoor light source like florescent lights or light bulbs turn the color of silver jewelry over time. If you expect not to wear a certain piece for a long time, put it in a air-tight bag and store it in a drawer.

What types of silver jewelry plating are there?

Unlike gold and platinum, however, pure silver is rather unstable and oxides rather quickly. Therefore, silver jewelry is usually plated with another metal to protect it from tarnishing. There are two kinds of plating for silver jewelry: nickel and rhodium plating. Nickel plating has a more whitish look and rhodium plating has a darker look. Rhodium is used to plate white gold and platinum jewelry and is much more expensive than nickel, and it give better protection to the silver underneath. On the other hand, some silver jewelry is not plated. For instance, high polished sterling silver jewelry does not have any plating and the surface is polished by machine to render shininess. Also, “oxidized silver” jewelry is oxidized on purpose to give a dark antique look and is not plated with any other metals.

How do I know the purity of my silver jewelry?

The purity of sterling silver refers to 92.5% of silver in the alloy. In order to confirm the purity, the metal itself has to be sent to a laboratory to be tested. However, most of the sterling silver jewelry produced nowadays has a “925” stamp to indicate the authenticity of the jewelry. Although there are cases where stamps are forged and the metal is either not silver or the purity is not as stated, they are very rare.

How about engraving and resizing?

Engraving and resizing of sterling silver rings is rather simple due to the ductility and relatively low melting point. However, make sure your jeweler understands the process of refinishing the ring and that they possess the necessary equipment to do so. Not all jewelers have the equipment to recoat the rhodium plating after cutting and welding the ring. Also, rings set with stones are sometimes not resizable because resizing might cause the stones to pop out. Such settings include channel and invisible settings.

Can I wear sterling silver jewelry if I am allergic to nickel?

Yes, just make sure the jewelry is pure sterling silver, not plated with nickel. Even Rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry sometimes contains a nickel layer between the silver and the rhodium to act as an adhesive. Hence, buy only high polished sterling silver jewelry if you are allergic to nickel.

Greg Peterson got his MBA from MIT business school and is now working as marketing manager for jewelry businesses featuring wholesale sterling silver jewelry and wholesale hip hop jewelry.

http://www.samsoneinc.com

Sterling silver jewelry comes in various forms such as bracelets and chains including sterling silver figaro, curb, ropes, box, and snake, charms, lockets, earrings, rings, omegas, pendants and slides. Sterling silver jewelry also includes silver rings, earrings, charm bracelets, ear cuffs, sterling silver belly chains, thumb rings, and more.

Sterling silver jewelry is always made of silver which is 92.5% pure, it is composed of 925 parts of pure silver and 75 parts alloy, usually copper. Sterling silver jewelry always has the stamp of sterling silver on it, accompanied at times with the name of the designer or jewelry manufacturer. The word "sterling" is the most respected in the jewelry business today. Since pure silver by itself is too soft, another metal such as copper is added to it, to give the silver its added stiffness and other qualities. The resulting mixture which results is composed of 925 parts pure silver in every 1000 -- this proportion never varies -- it is fixed by law. This is referred to as sterling and is often incorrectly called or referred to as solid silver.

The sterling silver jewelry is made from this sterling silver, which is a white and highly reflective precious metal. It is of superior quality, which reflects in its look and feel. Although less durable than stainless steel and other precious metals, sterling silver is often employed in watches that coordinate or look like sterling jewelry. A protective coating may be added to prevent tarnish. Sterling silver jewelry is not very cheap, yet is also not beyond reach. It has a very distinctive look and can be easily distinguished. There is no mistaking the high reflective shine of this jewelry, which is one of its characteristics trade marks.

It adds a sophisticated charm to your personality. Sterling silver jewelry has a very stylish look and lends an incredible elegance to your entire look. The inedible stamp of quality along with the chic sophistication makes it a wonderful must have product. It is a very versatile ornament which crosses all barriers of age, cast, creed etc. It can be worn by anyone whether young or old.

Some care has to be taken of any sterling silver jewelry that you own. This jewelry does tarnish with time. To clean the sterling silver jewelry use a polishing cloth or sprinkle a fair amount of dry baking powder on a soft cloth and hold it in the palm of your hand. Rub carefully to avoid scratching stones or glass components. When done, shake the powder off.

Sterling silver jewelry has a unique air of class, sophistication and style surrounding it. It is a wonderful thing to own and also to gift to people who matter. It says a lot about your personality and taste. Wearing sterling silver jewelry can immediately enhance your over-all persona. It is available for both men and women being one of those essential pieces of jewelry which you must have in your collection.

Its versatile look allows it to be used on many occasions and the feel as well as texture is quite fashionable as well as glamorous.

Looking for information about Jewelry? Go to: http://www.merryjewelry.com 'Merry Jewelry' is published by Angela Davis - The Complete Jewelry Resource Directory Check out more Jewelry articles at: http://www.merryjewelry.com/archive

I've been making reasonable sums from spread betting on silver and other metals such as platinum, mainly to get the practice - starting from a very small position I've quadrupled my money, but have 'lost' a good few £ on downswings in the process. I'm now considering taking a large position.

Narrating my Strategy - Spread Betting Silver

In the early days I opened a few positions...things went well. Then I increased my positions, and having read up a little more, I put stops in place. Then two things happened:

1. A few markets I was invested in moved against me, losing me money.
2. Some of my stops tripped during swings, losing me money.

At one point, having been smugly sitting on about £1000 of profit, I was over £4000 in the red. I received margin calls - and rapidly had to shovel several thousand pounds into my accounts to keep my positions open. And that's the key - keeping them open.

You really have to stand back and think "am I confident my predictions are right?" ... if you are, then you MUST NOT sell on the falls. You'll only kick yourself when you walk away saying 'spread betting is dangerous' only to then see the price go through the roof over the coming months.

Since then, I've adopted this approach and to-date it's working very well:

1. Open positions to a level at which you're comfortable.
2. Don't use stops. Especially in a market as volatile as silver, selling on dips is a bad move and you'll get shaken out quite often.
3. Instead, set up limit orders to BUY small amounts when the price drops significantly. I do this so that IG Index send me a text and it alerts me to the drop. I can then log in and make a decision on what to do.
4. When the price then rises above its previous average, sell a few of those positions that you bought on the dip. If your long-term view is correct, this method WORKS.
5. Remain professional and unemotional in your dealing. Don't monitor the market too closely or you'll have days when you see your "net worth" drop by several thousand pounds in a day. It can also affect your job if you're constantly logged into your account wheeling and dealing.
6. In general, I'm convinced that a "hands-off" approach is generally better than a "hands-on" one. Follow the same approach that the long-term physical holders use. You don't hear of Goldfinger sloping off to sell his bullion if the price dips, so why should you do the same? You're using financial instruments instead of physical because it's easier and has less margin, however you should adopt the same strategy. As I say: avoid stops.

I'm aware that this system will be absolutely useless in the event that my predictions are wrong. If you follow this system to the letter and the price consistently falls you'll end up chasing the market down and burn all your cash faster than Bernanke's been burning the dollar. Similar to today's young bankers who've only ever worked in a credit-fueled bull market, you need to spare a thought for what might happen. However, as long as you're convinced that the price WILL rise, hold onto those positions.

Silver and Platinum are quite volatile and you can make good money playing the moves. But honestly I've made far more from my long gold and short GBP positions - with next-to-zero (daytime trading) effort.

Financial-spread-betting.com monitors and reviews spread betting sites like ETX Capital and CityIndex so you know which sites offer the best experience for you to spread bet at.

Silver is an incredibly versatile metal. As a result, the range of Silver Jewelery available on the market today is almost limitless. The best way to choose the right piece is to set a budget and choose a type and then get online and see what the web has to offer. Some of the options worth considering are:

Mix 'n' Match Chokers and Pendants

The great thing about pendants is that they can be worn in so many different ways. By combining them with solid Silver Chokers, simple chains, leather laces or ribbons, you can create an ever changing set of jewellery that matches every outfit. A silver & crystal pendant on a short velvet ribbon looks sexy and feminine, then swap to a fine silver choker and the look changes to something much more contemporary. Hang a chunky silver pendant on a simple leather lace to go from feminine to masculine. With half a dozen different coloured ribbons you have an almost limitless array of looks to coordinate with every outfit. Mix and match your Silver pendants to suit your mood, or even wear 2 together to create your own unique look.

Silver Bracelets and Solid Silver Bangles

Bracelets are just about the most versatile item of jewellery available. They come in every shape & size possible from dainty silver bangles ideal for an 18th or 21st birthday present to chunky silver bracelets in bold designs perfect to wear with an evening dress. A silver bracelet looks great worn with a pair of jeans or a little black dress. Use one to dress up a suit or hit the pool with your bikini and a solid silver bangle for that classic 50's Grace Kelly look. When buying any bracelet, there are 2 things to consider. Firstly do you want a bangle (a bracelet made from a solid piece of silver)? Or do you want a bracelet (usually a silver chain or set of silver links or beads)? Secondly, be sure to measure your wrist. Wrist size does not reflect dress. The key to choosing the right bracelet is to look at the size of your wrist & decide how small or large a piece will suit you best. When you have decided which design will work best, then measure your wrist and make sure the silver bracelet you order will fit comfortably.

Solid Silver Chokers and Handmade Silver Necklaces

Silver necklaces add sparkle to any outfit. For a classic look, go for a simple silver choker or chain. Wear your silver choker alone or mix & match with interchangeable chunky silver pendants and charms to change your look to match your mood. For a more contemporary, cutting edge look try a bold silver pendant on leather or suede. When buying a necklace, think about the length that suits you best. Many necklaces come in different lengths or can be tailored to your specific requirements. Wear it up against your collarbone for a sophisticated look, or low on the breastbone for a more traditional look. Finally think about scale. Silver necklaces come in an almost unlimited number of designs. If you are a dainty size 8, stick to dainty pieces that won't swamp you. If you are taller or bigger boned, you can get away with a bolder silver necklace with more detail, and heavier silver pendants.

Handmade Silver Earrings

Silver earrings are a great choice for women of every age. They add sparkle to any outfit, and look great worn alone or as a set with a matching silver necklace. Silver is a very strong metal, which allows silversmiths to create beautiful earrings in a huge variety of shapes & sizes. In addition, unlike costume jewellery, which can cause allergic reactions when worn in pierced ears, there are no common allergies to silver. Sterling silver earrings do not contain nickel, the most common allergy causing white metal. So by buying sterling silver, you are choosing not only a beautiful, but also a safe piece of jewellery.

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