Silver is one of the three classic precious metals, alongside gold and platinum. All three of which have been used for centuries in the production of fine jewelry. Fine (bullion) silver, which refers to silver at 99.9% purity, is too soft and malleable for most uses, used most often for the production of minted treasury bars. When it comes to the manufacture of jewelry, sterling silver is the silver of choice.

Sterling silver is a mixture of pure silver and, typically, copper. The ratio of which is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, though other metals are used on occasion as well (e.g., nickel and zinc) to form the alloy. The addition of other metals provides for hardness and durability as well as to aid in the prevention of tarnishing. Sterling silver has a natural white luster, though is prone to tarnish due to a reaction occurring between the silver itself and sulfur in the atmosphere. As well, oxygen may tarnish the copper content of sterling silver.

The term “sterling silver” itself apparently emerged in England around the 13th century, a product of a convergence of terms in reference to 925 silver—i.e. sterling silver. The meaning seems to reference a “firmly planted little star,” likely a reference to sterling silver’s luster and durability. Another perspective on the emergence of the term “sterling” puts forth the notion that the term in question stems from an area in modern day Germany (circa 1300 AD) called the “Easterling.” It was in this particular area that sterling silver emerged as component of primary local currency.

Sterling silver as a form of currency was later adopted by the English and remained a mainstay for centuries. Today, however, sterling silver is no longer prevalent as minted currency. Despite this, sterling silver, harder than gold, more plentiful, and more affordable, remains popular as a precious metal for a host of other purposes.

Sterling silver was extremely popular in the form of flatware and ornamental dining implements from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Today however, sterling silver is most popular as the base metal for quality, fashionable—yet affordable—jewelry.

Sterling silver can be fashioned into a wide variety of interesting and ornamental jewelry pieces. From sterling silver rings, sterling silver bracelets, sterling silver charms, sterling silver necklaces, to sterling silver earrings—sterling silver is extremely popular among both jewelry artisans and consumers. You can’t go wrong with sterling silver jewelry.

Jake Kennedy is editor and publisher of the webs most fascinating Sterling Silver Jewelry website. For more fast facts on sterling silver jewelry check out: Sterling Silver Bracelet

Sterling Silver Jewelry has always been popular precious metal in ancient legends and throughout history in every country. While silver is used in lots of products, it’s use as money and sterling silver jewelry are the source of its mystique and intrigue. There are many movie plots based on stealing sterling silver jewelry and seeking lost sterling silver jewelry items with magical qualities. If you love sterling silver jewelry, you probably feel the same way each time you put on your sterling silver jewelry and head for adventure.

Sterling Silver Jewelry – Keep It Clean!

Sterling silver jewelry comes in an amazing variety of styles and textures over its 4,000 year history. Ever notice how your sterling silver jewelry sometimes just catches your eye and casts a spell on you? It’s not just your illusion. The hypnotic power of a sterling silver jewelry flows from its highly polished surface that reflects the light in a way like no other jewelry can. Another finish applied to sterling silver jewelry is rhodium that gives it a slightly darker finish. As you know, sterling silver jewelry tarnishes. Keep a soft cloth and silver polish and handy to keep your sterling silver jewelry shining bright.

Sterling Silver Jewelry – Why is it 92.5% Silver?

The term “sterling silver jewelry” refers to jewelry cast from 92.5% silver. This is because 100 % pure sterling silver jewelry is a little soft and prone to bending and breaking. The 92.5% silver content creates sterling silver jewelry that is both elegant and durable. Reproductions of sterling silver jewelry worn by kings and queens represent a romantic tie between people in love today and ancient history. Browse sterling silver jewelry online for exquisite and extraordinary ancient jewelry pieces that excites the soul.

Sterling Silver Jewelry– Buying Tips

When buying sterling silver jewelry on the internet, keep in mind most online stores are honest and care about your satisfaction. Most offer thirty day warranty on your sterling silver jewelry and will exchange it. Like many purchases, it pays to pay by credit card for your protection.

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Johnny Mayer is a content writer for Compucall.USA Web Marketing, LTD.

Overview Of Sterling Silver Jewelry Care

Silver in all its luminous apparitions, has co-reigned alongside gold for more than 6000 years as the ‘Queen of Precious Metals’. However, of all silver’s heirs it is sterling silver with its intrinsic beauty, value and durability, that has ensured itself a place in the history books as one of the most popular mediums of personal adornment.

Owning a prestigious item such as sterling silver jewelry should be undertaken with an eye on the future. Like all precious metals, sterling silver’s value increases with time, and one day your jewelry could well become a priceless family heirloom, so looking after it now can only pay dividends in the future. However, to understand the proper care and maintenance of your sterling silver jewelry it is first necessary to look into sterling silver’s background.

Both silver and sterling silver are precious metals, and both closely related, but they are not the same. Pure silver is quite soft and because of this won't hold its shape; sterling silver was invented as a more durable form of this highly malleable and lustrous metal, lending its hardwearing properties to the creation of frequently worn jewelry.

Sterling silver is 92.5 percent true silver; the remaining 7.5 percent is comprised of an alloy, usually copper or zinc. Sterling silver tarnishes, this is caused by a reaction between the silver and the sulfur containing oxygen particles of the air. The following guide gives you some useful advice on preserving your sterling silver gemstone jewelry in the state you want for future generations.

Storage

Store your sterling silver jewelry in a dark, cool place away from direct sunlight or other sources of extreme heat such as radiators. A perfect place is in a jewelry box in amongst your clothes.

Sterling silver jewelry, as is the case with all fine jewelry, should be stored alone in a separate compartment in a jewelry box or in its own soft pouch. Not doing this will eventually result in scratches, or even breaks if there are gemstones in the jewelry.

Never store your sterling silver jewelry in paper, cardboard, or cotton filled boxes, as these contain trace elements of sulfur. For best results, place the items in a sealed, airtight plastic bag or jeweler's sulfur-free tissue prior to boxing and wrapping.

Cleaning & Polishing

Over time, sterling silver will develop a mellow patina caused by ‘Oxidization’, which results in an ‘Antique’ look where tarnish builds up in the fine details giving your sterling silver jewelry a beautifully unique air. You may or may not appreciate this aspect; you should consider this before making any attempts at cleaning your jewelry.

The best way to preserve and encourage the tarnished ‘Antique’ look to sterling silver jewelry can be done by not cleaning the jewelry with water, and not wearing the jewelry in the shower or bath.

The best way to prevent tarnish is to wear your sterling silver jewelry as often as possible.

If your sterling silver does become tarnished, it is easily restored to its former glory by using warm water with a mild soap, rinsing it and then making sure to thoroughly dry it with a fine soft cloth. Soaking is discouraged.

Use a soft cloth, similar to the cloth provided with spectacles, in light even strokes for cleaning the wider surface area, and cotton buds or Q-tips in the same manner for getting in to more difficult corners.

Never use tissues or hard brushes, including toothbrushes, when cleaning or polishing your sterling silver, as they will leave scratch marks. This is especially important if there are gemstones such as pearls mounted into your jewelry.

Polishing should be done quickly, and all traces of polish should be removed afterwards. Leaving traces of polish behind can dull the design by clogging engraved areas.

Silver pastes, treated polishing cloths or other sterling silver cleaning materials should be used under the guidance of your local jeweler, this is especially true if there are gemstones as these chemicals can destroy them.

The Dos’ & Don’ts

Always take your sterling silver jewelry off before applying suntan lotion, skin creams, and swimming in chlorinated or salt water.

Never wear your jewelry when working with detergents, bleaches, ammonia or alcohols; these chemicals will cause discoloration, damage and loosen any gemstones.

Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, ammonia or any chemical solution to clean opaque gemstones, such as turquoise, malachite, onyx, lapis lazuli and opals. They are a porous stone and may absorb chemicals, which build up inside the stone and cause discoloration. Simply wipe them gently with a moist soft cloth until clean.

Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver Care

Some sterling silver jewelry is plated with rhodium; this is designed to make your jewelry tarnish resistant. Caring for rhodium-plated sterling silver jewelry requires a different approach than non-plated sterling silver jewelry.

Clean it with a soft polishing rag or fine cleaner, but never use chemical based silver cleaners because this will damage the rhodium finish and also the inlaid gemstones.

If you own antique sterling silver jewelry or rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry we recommend that you seek expert advice from your local jeweler who will be able to instruct you on the best brands of jewelry cleaning products in your area.

This article was written for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. See 1000’s of gemstone silver jewelry items at prices 80% below normal retail prices. Make one purchase per month and receive silver jewelry worth up to $60...Absolutely free, everytime!

Sterling Silver jewelries have been a staple in the lives of many people since humans exposed the flexibility of silver and its several uses. Silver has been used for efficient and artistic purposes.

Silver is produced in various different areas, though the maximum concentrations of silver yield come from Mexico and Peru.

Sterling is a fusion of fine silver and other metal alloys. The purity of sterling silver is measured to be 92. %. 7 % of copper is mixed to make the jewelry for strong and long lasting. Sterling silver is more prone to smudge with time due to the presence of copper the presence of copper; though this comparatively not serious side effect can be lessened through suitable care. By cleaning your sterling silver bracelets at regular intervals you'll never even observe anything other than a stunning polish and gleam.

The affordability and adaptability of the sterling silver jewelries is one of the main reasons for its popularity. Sterlingsilver can be crafted into a lot of different jewelry items including charms, rings and chains and bracelets. Silver jewelry is frequently mistaken for other new precious metals as well as white gold and platinum.

The sterling silver bracelets have been very popular among women. These bracelets are available in different shapes, sizes and styles. All of the different sterling silver bracelets make incredible and reasonably priced gifts for holidays, birthdays, or anniversaries or any other special occasion.

Below are the top five sterling silver bracelets:

Sterling silver Byzantine bracelet:

The rich Byzantine look is textured by the Polished silver links, which are woven together. This sterling silver bracelet is worn securely on the wrist and you can also pair it up with a matching necklace.

Sterling silver triple heart bracelet:

A sterling silver bracelet with three Italian-made sterling silver hearts that are estranged by lengths of sterling round-link chain. The hearts are about juicy looking and, when united with the chain, present the piece a subtle exterior. The bracelet closes up with a lobster-claw clasp.

Shoe Fetish Charm Bracelet:

Every shoe-lover must possess this bracelet. The bracelet is about seven inches in length and five shoe charms hang from the oval links of bracelet.

Charm bracelet with glittery purses

From the circular links glittery charm purses dangle which are studded with cubic zirconium. Sterling silver and rhodium plated.

Silver Nugget Grains with "Glowing Gourd" Charm

Two filaments of stocky silver grains make an elegant wrap for the wrist. The little nuggets are improved with an imprinted gourd-like charm that hangs near the clutch. Thai artisan Chalermkwan Veerasilp designed this sterling silver bracelet.

Apart from these five bracelets there are other sterling silver bracelets like Sterling Silver Bangle with Marcasites, Sterling Silver Script Name Bracelet, Sterling Silver Heart Clasp Bracelet, Sterling Silver Family Name Bracelet

All these are priced around 50 $.

Maintaining the silver bracelets:

After you purchase any sterling silver bracelet you must see to it there quality and shine is maintain. In order to do so, you must regularly clean sterling silver with a phosphate free detergent. A low coarse cleaner, such as 3M Tarni-Shield Silver Polish, is a good choice for removing light tarnish. Some people use toothpaste to clean their sterling silver, but most silver experts warn against it because they feel toothpaste is too rough and might lead to dullness of the bracelet.

Once you possess any of the top sterling silver bracelets you will realize that they are worth the money spent!

A Sterling Silver Bracelets Shoppers Guide is something that you wouls appriciate if you went shopping, learn more shopping advice at the Sterling Silver Jewelry site, tips from ZupaTips.com