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Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is the standard for beautiful high-quality silver jewelry. It's over 90% pure silver, mixed with alloys to add strength and durability. And it won't wear down, as silver plating can.
Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft, very malleable, and easily damaged so it is commonly combined with other metals to produce a more durable product. The most popular of these alloys is sterling silver, which consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. Although any metal can make up the 7.5 percent non-silver portion of sterling, centuries of experimentation have shown copper to be its best companion, improving the metal's hardness and durability without affecting its beautiful color.
The small amount of copper added to sterling has very little effect on the metal's value. Instead, the price of the silver item is affected by the labor involved in making the item, the skill of the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design.
Stamps of Quality
All high quality silver items are stamped with a "Sterling Silver " or ".925" mark. This mark designates the precious metal content of the jewelry, and under federal law, must be accompanied by a maker's mark or registered trademark.
Silver Alloys
Because pure silver is so soft, it should only be used when malleability is required, such as in handcrafted jewelry featuring weaving and other intricate designs.
Sterling silver is most often used for jewelry and household accessories because of its combination of beauty and durability. Acceptable quality marks for sterling silver include:
- sterling
- sterling silver
- .925
Care
With proper care, your fine quality silver will last a lifetime. To minimize scratches and other damage, store your silver jewelry either in a cloth pouch or in a separate compartment in your jewelry box. Avoid exposing your silver to household chemicals when cleaning with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these chemicals can damage silver.
Clean Your Silver Regularly
Care should also be taken to prevent silver tarnish build-up, a dulling that naturally occurs when silver reacts with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide in the ambient air. To clean your silver, use polishes formulated specifically to remove tarnish. You can find fine silver polishes, solutions, or cloths appropriate to remove tarnish at most hardware stores or specialty craft stores. Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes visible. Although wearing your silver jewelry often is the best way to prevent tarnish from building up, regular cleanings of all your silver items will prevent tarnish and keep your silver bright and sparkling.
Golden Factory is your online jewelry market place for silver cubic zirconia jewelry. The highest quality collections of sterling silver jewelry and CZ jewelry at wholesale jewelry price. All silver necklaces, silver rings, silver earrings, and silver bracelets are designed and manufactured by 40 year experience of fine jewelry. 925 Sterling Silver Jewelry is harder and less prone to tarnish. Unless it is covered in Rhodium or another heavy metal, 925 sterling jewelry will still tarnish. Jewelry at Golden Factory is .925 Sterling Silver and is finished with Rhodium. GoldenFactory.com specializes in Sterling Silver Jewelry Cubic Zirconia Jewelry including Sterling Silver Bracelets, Silver Necklaces, Silver Earrings and Rings. If it is made with silver, and it has your wish, you can find it at Golden Factory.Sterling silver can be used to make all kinds of jewelry. Its beautiful color and affrodable prices are the reason why you should buy Silver CZ Jewelry.
Here are the some tips to keep sterling silver jewelry clean.
As time pass by sterling silver jewelry gets a bit dirtier and darker. Under the humid weather condition, it will happen faster. Keep them in a box safe and in a closed area, so you can protect your silver jewelry from air. Another way that you should follow is to wipe sterling silver jewelry with a clean cloth after you have worn them. If you don't follow it, dirt come into every holes of our jewelry, and finally you will see it is getting dark.
Some tips to slow down the process of oxidation that makes your jewelry look darker are:
-Keep your jewelry away from damp and humid air.
-Make sure you keep your jewelry clean with jewelry cleaning cloth
-To clean sterling silver jewelry, you may use toothbrush and toothpaste. Rinse it with clean water and dry them
-Try to avoid using wooden jewelry boxes that will damage your silver jewelry a lot faster than normal.
-For removing makeup stains or fingerprints off your jewelry you can place it in a bowl of warm water with a half cup of detergent. Let it set for a while and then rinse it with clean water.
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