All your fashion need - Jewellery

Everything You Want To Know About Jewellery

koombh — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:00:28 +0000

Jewellery is not just a luxury item, but an artistic innovation that has allowed human beings to utilize materials that might otherwise have been neglected as inferior and without any practical use. An artistic or aesthetic sense is one of the greatest gifts that nature has granted to mankind. This quality has rendered man capable of perceiving the beauty of glittering and sparkling metals and stones, leading to the development of jewellery. Mankind has devised ways of adorning different parts of their bodies with these materials in order to enhance their appearances. Jewellery is now a commodity common to almost every human civilization or culture that exists on this planet.
Human beings have diverse tastes and therefore, jewellery in different cultures can be made using different kinds of materials. However, the Western civilization has always appreciated and continues to accept precious metals and rare minerals collectively dubbed as gemstones, as the proponents of jewellery making. Rare and attractively glittering metals like gold and silver have always been considered as assets in this respect and same is the situation with diamonds. These materials have been used for millennia in making jewellery. The last century witnessed the development of precision tools specialized for designing jewellery. With other technical advancements – not to mention the development of jewellery designing software – the ornament industry has progressed significantly. Thousands of designers all over the world today are reaping the benefits of this extremely lucrative industry. Jewellery today has permeated every socio-economic and cultural strata of the human society.
Many cultures also consider jewellery as financial assets. This is especially true for gold and silver. The reason is that gold and silver, unlike precious stones, can be melted and remade into other ornaments, making them more versatile commodities than precious stones. Even royal families and monarchs have considered jewellery as monetary assets for the royal treasury or exchequer. Jewellery has therefore been a potent symbol of status and power in the human society and it is quite possible that this will continue even in the future. In view of the above points, it is quite evident that purchasing jewellery can be important decisions not just for an individual, but for his or her entire family. To assume that jewellery is meant entirely for the feminine gender would be highly inaccurate. In fact, different jewelleries are also developed specially for men. Of course, men’s jewellery is generally not as exorbitant or showy as ornaments meant for women.
Jewellery needs to be kept organized properly. Specifically for this purpose, jewellery boxes are also available in the market today. These securely designed boxes have multiple shelves and chambers that are specialized to hold specific kinds of ornaments. The use of these boxes ensures that one can easily keep track of his or her ornaments and easily notice if any of them goes missing for some reason or the other. Being precious items, jewellery has always been a favourite target for thieves and therefore, should be kept organized and secure.

Gemstone Jewelry Secrets Explore

koombh — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:00:23 +0000

The mystery and magic of colored gemstones has been an integral aspect or the “Lore” of most cultures for many centuries. Here is what noted gemstone experts Antoinette L. Matlins and A.C. Bonanno have to say on the matter. “The fascination with colored gemstones dates back to the very beginning of civilization. For our ancestors, the blue of sapphire produced visions of the heavens; the red of ruby was a reminder of the very essence of life. By Roman times, rings containing colored gems were prized symbols of power-and the most powerful wore rings on every joint of every finger!
Since ancient times, colored stones have been thought to possess innate magical powers and the ability to endow the wearer with certain attributes. According to legend, emeralds are good for the eyes; yellow stones cure jaundice; red stones stop the flow of blood. At one time it was believed that a ruby worn by a man indicated command, nobility, lordship, and vengeance; worn by a woman, however, it indicated pride, obstinacy, haughtiness. A blue sapphire worn by a man indicated wisdom, and high and magnanimous thoughts; on a woman, jealousy in love, politeness, and vigilance. The emerald signified for man joyousness, transitory hope, and the decline of friendship; for woman, unfounded ambition, childish delight, and change.
Colored gems, because of the magical powers associated with them, achieved extensive use as talismans and amulets; as predictors of the future; as therapeutic aids; and as essential elements to many religious practices-pagan, Hebrew, and Christian.”
Natural gemstones are found in nature. Laboratory-created stones, as the name implies, are made in the laboratory. These stones, which also are referred to as laboratory-grown, {name of manufacturer} - created, or synthetic, have essentially the same chemical, physical and visual properties as natural gemstones. Laboratory-created stones do not have the rarity of naturally colored stones and they are less expensive than naturally mined stones. By contrast, imitation stones look like natural stones in appearance only, and may be glass, plastic, or less costly stones. Laboratory-created and imitation stones should be clearly identified as such. Gemstones may be measured by weight, size, or both. The basic unit for weighing gemstones is the carat, which is equal to one-fifth 91/5th) of a gram. Carats are divided into 100 units called points. For example, a half-carat gemstone would weigh .50 carats or 50 points. When gemstones are measured by dimensions, the size is expressed in millimeters (for example, 7×5 millimeters).
Gemstone treatments or enhancements refer to the way some gems are treated to improve their appearance or durability, or even change their color. Many gemstones are treated in some way. The effects of some treatments may lessen or change over time and some treated stones may require special care. Some enhancements also affect the value of a stone, when measured against a comparable untreated stone.
Jewelers should tell you whether the gemstone you’re considering has been treated when: the treatment is not permanent; the treated stone requires special care; or the treatment significantly affects the value of the gemstone.

Some common treatments that you may be told about and their effects include:
* Heating can lighten, darken or change the color of some gems, or improve a gemstone’s clarity.
* Irradiation can add more color to colored diamonds, certain other gemstones and pearls.
* Impregnating some gems with colorless oils, wax or resins makes a variety of imperfections less visible and can improve the gemstones’ clarity and appearance.
* Fracture filling hides cracks or fractures in gems by injecting colorless plastic or glass into the cracks and improves the gemstones’ appearance and durability.
* Diffusion treatment adds color to the surface of colorless gems; the center of the stone remains colorless.
* Dyeing ads color and improves color uniformity in some gemstones and pearls.
* Bleaching lightens and whitens dome gems, Including jade and pearls.
In this day and age, gemstones are generally worn for their natural beauty or as a fashion statement, but there are many that “buy-in” to the mythical and mystical symbolisms of gems as well. Whatever a person’s reason, the world of gems today offers an almost endless choice. Many new gems have been discovered and are widely available in reds, blues, greens and many unusual shades as well.

Classic Handmade Jewellery

koombh — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:15:29 +0000

Murano glass is a famous handmade glass product that originates from the island of Murano, where it has been handcrafted for years. Murano made its name as a commercial port just off the shore of Venice in Italy as far back as during the 7th century. Murano is regarded as an excellent tourist destination for lovers of fine art and handcrafted jewellery for good reason.
For centuries, the glassmakers in Murano held a monopoly on all quality glass and glassmaking. These master artisans refined a number of popular glassmaking technologies for the creation of handmade jewellery, including glass with threads of gold, milk glass, multi colored glass, and imitation gemstones crafted from glass. These age old techniques are still being employed as Murano glass handmade jewellery is crafted into stunning contemporary art. Murano glass handmade jewellery was massively produced in the 50s and 60s for the purpose of exporting to other countries as gifts and for tourists. The processes used to create these stunning glass gifts is still being employed as the popularity for painstakingly crafted handmade jewellery continues to grow.
Because Murano glass handmade jewellery cannot be massively produced, but rather employs painstakingly complex glassmaking techniques, each piece of Murano glass jewellery is one of a kind and makes for an incredible gift. Anyone who appreciates the gift of handmade jewellery will appreciate what it means to own a handcrafted piece of stunning Murano art glass jewellery. That is because no two pieces of art glass jewellery from the island of Murano are the same, and each piece is handcrafted using age old traditions that were cultivated and mastered by the finest glass artisans that the world had ever seen at the time that Murano art glass became such a sought after commodity. Anyone scouting for the best gifts to give for special occasions will be thrilled to find that there is a style of Murano glass handmade jewellery to suit all tastes and styles.
Murano art glass handmade jewellery is crafted using high quality glass and melting agents called flux. Glass is shaped and molded on rods over a flame or torch and slowly manipulated to create highly detailed and truly unique gifts in the form of pendants, beads and other jewellery elements. The colors, styles, materials and techniques used in Murano art glass handmade jewellery can vary significantly depending on what look the master glassmaker is hoping to create.
Popular styles for Murano glass handmade jewellery gifts include millefiori, filigree, enamel painted, engraved, lattimo, gold engraved, incalmo, ribbed glass and submersion glass. Each of these styles creates a completely different and unique piece of handmade jewellery, and because each is crafted by hand, no two could ever be created alike. If you are looking for the perfect gift for someone who seems to have everything, or just the perfect compliment to a favorite outfit, then Murano art glass handmade jewellery is an excellent avenue to explore. This stunning one of a kind handmade jewellery style makes an excellent idea for gifts, whether you are treating a friend or yourself.

Shiny and Lusterous Sterling Silver Jewelry

koombh — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:00:08 +0000

A little known fact is that Sterling Silver Jewelry pieces that are not worn for extended periods of time can corrode and tarnish as well. Thus, silver jewelry storage is a critical component for preventing corrosion and tarnish. By following a few simple rules, you can save yourself hours of cleaning and keep your sterling silver jewelry bright and beautiful for years.

Understanding Why Sterling Silver Jewelry Tarnishes
The tarnish on sterling silver jewelry is the result of oxidative reactions with sulfur, such as Hydrogen Sulfide, in the air and environment (the nickel or copper alloy in most sterling silver also undergoes its own oxidative reactions). The corrosion of silver combined with sulfur creates the darkening referred to as tarnish. Therefore, you must insure your jewelry is clean and dry before storage; since any moisture, dirt, oils or other residual chemicals will accelerate the tarnishing.

Containers for Silver Storage
A container that locks out air is preferable, since reducing contact with air will slow corrosion. The most common household items with this function are zip lock bags, or any other air tight bag with non-abrasive surfaces, such as those made of polyethylene or Mylar. Avoid polyvinyl plastic bags however, as they have chemical compounds that promote tarnishing. If you’re willing to spend extra, jewelry stores carry specialized bags and boxes that help prevent tarnishing. When storing, it’s best to keep jewelry in separate bags, away from other hard items that may scratch your jewelry’s surface.

Places to Store Sterling Silver Jewelry
Avoid excessively humid areas, areas with direct sunlight, and other places where jewelry could rub up against other items. Do not store jewelry directly on chemically treated surfaces, such as wooden counter tops, since they contain chemicals that may promote tarnishing of your sterling silver.

Other Tools that Help Prevent Tarnish on Sterling Silver Jewelry
1) Chalk - An old remedy for preventing tarnish, just store chalk in your jewelry box or container and it will naturally absorb chemical residues in the air.
2) Anti-Tarnish Strips – Sold in many places, these strips are usually made from non-toxic materials that absorb tarnish causing agents in the air.
3) Anti-Tarnish cloths – Similar to the strips, these cloths are either chemically treated or saturated with traces of silver; both absorb sulfur and other corrosive chemicals in the air.
4) Silica Packs – Those little packs you find in medicine bottles and shoe boxes among other places. Highly useful in absorbing moisture in the air, toss them in your jewelry containers instead of the trash; you’ll be preventing tarnish and recycling as well.

Gift A Sterling Silver Jewelry

koombh — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:04:21 +0000

Jewelry has always been an object of immense fascination for women. The quest for newness in jewelry is one that has been ongoing for ages together as craftsmen strive to create innovations in design, material and styles to satisfy the embellishment needs of women and decorate their beauty.
Jewelry was originally made using precious metals and rare gems. This attribute made people yearn to possess such masterpieces that were rare and unique. Jewelry’s worth was based on the metal, the stones used and the craftsmanship. These factors made jewelry an unattainable aspiration to many and a luxury that only the elite could afford. In recent years there has been a paradigm shift. The use of sterling silver has made jewelry a dream come true to those who have been just gaping at the windows of jewelry shops. Silver has been used as a metal for jewelry for long, but silver as such is too soft a metal, and pure silver is seldom used for making jewelry. Sterling silver, however, is a harder alloy lending itself for exquisite craftsmanship?
Sterling silver is 92.5 percent of silver and the remaining an alloy that is predominantly copper. Sterling silver offers just the right material properties like malleability and flexural strength and allows itself to be crafted into intricate designs. Another great advantage is that sterling silver can be gold plated or plated with rhodium to make it look like platinum, giving it the appearance of one of the most expensive metals at the price of silver. One more unbeatable feature about sterling silver is that the metal can be given an antique finish to add a touch of nostalgia and a classic look to jewelry.
Sterling silver jewelry has now swept the market and one can find an endless collection of beautifully crafted rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, pedants and jewelry sets. Among the most popular of choices is the cubic zirconia studded sterling silver jewelry. Cubic Zirconia or CZ as it is popularly known, so closely resembles a diamond that only the well trained eye can tell the difference between the two. The combination of platinum like sterling silver finished jewelry studded with flawless diamond CZ is truly ethereal and regal.
Though sterling silver came as a cost effective replacement for expensive jewelry, it has found the rich, the elite and the celebrities too building up huge and varied collections of sterling silver jewelry, which otherwise would have not been possible. Today, sterling silver jewelry designs are celebrity inspired and designer inspired. There is not a single intricate craftsmanship that is not possible to imitate with this wonderful metal. Sterling silver jewelry can now be shopped with just the click of a mouse and right from the comforts of one’s home. There are many jewelry sites that offer wide collection of unique jewelry at rates that are down to earth.

Care For Sterling Silver Jewelry

koombh — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:02:01 +0000

Nothing can quite beat the sheer elegance of sterling silver. The brilliance of silver jewelry appeals to almost every person of any age, even regardless of gender. However, it also possesses that sublime sophistication that gold jewelry always seems to overdo.
If you seem to disagree with this simple statement, think of a person - any person, for that matter - wearing a load of just sterling silver jewelry. Let’s deck that person in a few sterling silver earrings. Then let’s try placing silver ropes around that person’s neck. We can add a couple of silver rings to go along. And for good measure, we will even throw in one or two silver toe rings. And what do you have? You see nothing more but everyday wear. Now, picture that same person wearing the same exact jewelry, only this time, turn every piece that we imagined into gold. Now what do you have? You see a person imitating a fully lit Christmas tree. We are exaggerating, of course. Nonetheless, this fully illustrates the sublime sophistication which is found probably only in sterling silver jewelry. In fact, if you want, you can mix and match sterling silver jewelry with any other gem or mineral and it will still look pretty chic. Only few kinds of jewelry can achieve this kind of versatility while keeping a sort of utter sophistication and elegance. Cubic zirconia jewelry or CZ jewelry, particularly CZ rings and CZ earrings are often paired with silver. And you guessed it; this combination always manages to look wonderful.
However, in order to maintain that brilliance, you should primarily know how to give your sterling silver jewelry the proper attention it needs. After all, how will you be able to enjoy your sterling silver jewelry if it is not in its ultimately best condition? The first thing that you should keep in mind is that you need to treat your silver exactly as it is worth. You certainly would not wear your best dress to do menial chores around the house or do harsh corrosive applications, now would you? You would want to treat your sterling silver jewelry basically the same way. It would be best if you could shield your jewelry from scratching or from harmful substances (like acids, bleaches, paint, etc.). The best option is probably to take your sterling silver jewelry off while in contact with these harmful substances.
Another thing that you should keep in mind is that an occasional cleaning with silver-safe jewelry cleaners could do you some good as well. Over time, a build up or residue from months (even years) of use can cause silver to tarnish and look aged (somewhat gray and yellow in discoloration). With that said, you might want to schedule a habitual cleaning to keep your jewelry as clean as possible all the time. However, you should be careful when cleaning your sterling silver. This is especially if it is matched with other gemstones or minerals. Sterling silver jewelry indeed has an unparalleled sophistication and elegance. However, you should always maintain your jewelry to always keep it at its best.

Wholesale Sterling Silver Jewelry

koombh — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:00:18 +0000

It takes many years of experience in trading sterling silver jewelry to tell whether a piece of jewelry is of high quality or not. Especially when you are buying wholesale silver jewelry, a minor difference in the quality might affect your business reputation in the long run. This article summarizes the basic metrics for anyone who is beginning to trade silver jewelry to gauge the quality of silver jewelry.

Finishing
Most of the sterling silver jewelry has some sort of plating because silver itself turns yellow over time. There are several ways of finishing a piece of silver jewelry and they will affect the cost of the jewelry substantially.
1. High polished sterling silver jewelry has no plating on the jewelry at all and is particularly popular with engravable items or for people who are allergic to certain metals such as nickel. The jewelry is polished by machine without additional raw material cost.
2. Some silver jewelry has a black antique look to cater to certain consumers. These items are processed by putting the jewelry into chemical solution to oxide the silver before polishing and the pricing is similar to that of high polished ones.
3. Another common way of finishing sterling silver jewelry is nickel plating. Although nickel plating is illegal in some countries, most of the Italian silver jewelry sold in the market today is plated with nickel. However, since nickel is not considered as precious metal, the price is usually not affected by the cost of plating.
4. The most expensive way of finishing sterling silver jewelry is using Rhodium. Rhodium is a precious metal that is even more expensive than silver. Therefore, silver jewelry with Rhodium plating is usually at least five cent more expensive per gram. Since Rhodium has the property of being highly tarnish resistant and very expensive at the same time, some manufacturers would coat the sterling silver jewelry with a thin layer of copper before plating the Rhodium to reduce the cost. It might be a good idea to ask the vendors if the Rhodium is plated directly or not because some people have skin type that would turn the copper underneath green.

Stone cutting
Sterling silver jewelry usually has natural or synthetic stones set on it. The cutting of the stones, even with the same size, might affect the cost. For instance, the synthetic diamond cubic zirconia stones would cost more if they are in princess cut as suppose to round brilliant cut. Furthermore, emerald cut and baguette cut stones are even more expensive than princess cut ones.

Stone setting
1. The way that stones are set on a piece of jewelry also affects the cost. Many pendant and bracelet styles employ an economical setting method called wax setting. The stones are not really set one by one on the jewelry. Rather, they are fixed on the mold before the jewelry is cast out from the melted silver and come out of the mold together with the silver. This lowers the cost of the silver jewelry significantly. However, the quality of the setting is not consistent and the heat of the silver in liquid form might affect the quality of the stones.
Besides wax setting, there are several hand-setting methods that are widely adopted. The most common one is prong setting, where the stones are held in place by three to eight prongs, depending on the style. More advanced settings include channel setting, bezel setting, pave setting and invisible setting. Understanding the labor costs involved in different kinds of settings is one of the keys to getting merchandize with the best prices.

Stamping and Casting
Another categorization for sterling silver jewelry is the way they manufacture the metal part. To save cost, some jewelry is made by stamping and cutting the needed shapes out from a large sheet of silver and than bend it into the desired shapes. On the other hand, a more traditional way of producing sterling silver jewelry is to cast the metal out of a mold, which is more labor intensive and hence more costly due to the polishing and filing required afterwards. The way the jewelry is made affects the durability a great deal and hence the success of your business.

Bride’s Sterling Silver Jewelry

koombh — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:00:14 +0000

There’s a wedding coming up. You are invited. Someone you really care about is getting married and you are wondering what to buy. You don’t want her to receive a gift she won’t need and will have to throw away or worse - keep it around and detest it. Well, I’ve got the answer for you. Sterling silver jewelry - it’s a gift she won’t be able to forget, special and forever in her heart.
Selecting the bride’s gift should be a delight. This experience should be dear to you as the person that is getting married is as well. Besides, buying sterling silver jewelry is not very difficult as there are many guides particularly written for this job. You can find online help or you can use your own instincts and a few tips this article will offer. The selection of a sterling silver jewelry gift is based on several criteria: the sum of money you are willing to spend, the location of the wedding and the wedding color theme if there is one.
You probably wouldn’t want to pay attention to such trivial matters like money as your intention is to give the bride the perfect present. But, however dear this person is to you, sterling silver jewelry has to be picked out according to your budget. There is a large variety of silver jewelry: plain, with a certain style, with gems, all incredibly attractive. Depending on the quality, weight and gemstones, the silver jewelry may cost more than you expected. Everyone knows this precious metal is very fashionable and affordable by any pocket, but you would be amazed by how many options there are regarding sterling silver jewelry and by how much work is done to create a wonderful, perfect ornament. Just think about what you’ll see and how you will have to make a decision. There will be sterling silver jewelry with flower or animal shapes, sterling silver jewelry with Gothic, Celtic, casual, contemporary and vintage style. Choosing a stone won’t be easy as silver jewelry with diamonds, pearls, sapphires, rubies and so many more will be present in front of your eyes. So, money restrictions can be of help when deciding what to buy as each item will have a certain price depending on how well crafted it is and on what stone it has.
As unusual as it may seem, the location of the wedding is very important. Whether it takes place in a church, in a garden or on the beach, the event will have a certain style and the silver jewelry has to be appropriately chosen. And, if you think of style, then pay extra attention to the bride because she is the one that chooses her and her bridesmaids’ dresses. The wedding gown and, more specifically, the neckline will tell you if a necklace is a good idea or not and what type to choose. Sterling silver jewelry for the neck is usually matched with earrings. Silver jewelry for the bride’s neck is however a bad idea if the bride doesn’t have a low or open neckline. Chandeliers are your primary focus in this case. Because the sterling silver jewelry is very important in the outfit of the bride, you have to be careful to the tone of the wedding. Don’t buy sterling silver jewelry that is too casual or too formal for the environment!
Last, but not least, the theme color of the wedding can guide you in your quest for the perfect gift. Although sterling silver jewelry goes well with any bridal dress whether it is soft white, cream, ivory or any blush color, silver jewelry comes with gem stones that may have certain colors. They have to match with the theme color of the event or at least be appropriately chosen. Silver jewelry can have gems with vibrant colors that express vivacity or they can have pastel colors that remind of grace and innocence. The theme color can be seen in the outfits, in the linen tablecloths, in the balloons, ceremonial ribbons and decorative flowers. The silver jewelry doesn’t have to be an exception, but it doesn’t necessarily have to match either. Sterling silver jewelry with gems has to compliment the beauty of the bride, not detract from it. This is why the color of the skin, the haircut and hairstyle, the color of the eyes, the make-up and other tiny details you might overlook are very important. This is the moment to prove your love for color. You mustn’t forget that this is her happiest day and you can contribute to her joy by making her a silver sterling jewelry present she will never forget.

Silver 925 Jewellery

koombh — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:00:51 +0000

Silver has always taken second place to Gold, its been Gold’s poor little brother, but its all about to change, the price of silver is ready to boom and percentage wise will out do gold 5 to 1.Beware with this boom will come the silver charlatans, trying to cash in on the Sterling silver925 and fine silver 985 jewelry product lines.
Silver jewelry Manufactures can buy the raw silver to make jewelry in two grades 99.95% and 92.5 %,both grades are acceptable for silver jewelry with the 99.95 being the no one grade for reputable silver manufactures and silver jewelry wholesalers to sell. Silver 925 is 92.5 parts silver and 7.5 parts alloy combined into the silver; this is the excepted grade for sterling silver as a finished jewelry item, but if the manufacturer starts to make his jewelry with the 92.5% raw grade silver by the time the jewelry item has been soldered together and depending on the amount of detail the solder will bring that item well below the Sterling Grade 925. Many silver manufactures add to this problem by adding another 7.5 parts alloy to the original raw silver so now you have 15 parts alloy plus the solder impurities’ so where is the sterling silver? Now we have 85 parts silver and 15 parts alloy plus an estimated .5 to1part alloy from the solder so the jewelry is now 84 parts silver and 16 parts alloy. This jewelry item will tarnish and spoil quickly; it will not pass an assays test, it is not sterling silver925.
Lets take the reputable silver jewelry manufacturer that starts the jewelry making process with pure silver, 999.5 he then adds 1part alloy plus .5 to 1 gram solder we now have silver jewelry that is a minimum standard of 98parts silver and 2 parts alloy, its very plain to see which is the better investment, this is fine silver 98% pure. Silver jewelry is soldered together with silver alloy mixes ,this is done so that the silver solder will melt and join the silver jewelry setting together before the setting melts ,in general there are three grades of solder used to accomplish this and each manufacturer may alter the ratio slightly, but as a rule the solder mixes are as follows ,
Solder no1 is 6 parts silver to 1 part alloy, this is the first grade solder used in making a jewelry setting it is the hardest solder and requires the most heat to melt and join the silver setting together in its initial stages. The next grade is Solder no 2 a medium grade solder that has a lower melting temperature then grade 1 and consists of 5 parts silver to 1 part alloy ,this will melt before solder no 1 so the silver setting will not start to fall apart while the silversmith is working. Finally the silver jewelry setting is finished with Solder no 3 which has the lowest melting point and is the finishing solder for the final work on the silver setting.
By now I hope its becoming clear that there is a huge difference in silver quality ,with the no 1 grade being fine silver 98% pure silver. Over the years people have said that pure silver is too soft for jewelry making, well I can assure you that 98% fine silver is more then strong enough for jewelry making and with its superior finish and purity it will return a much better profit on your silver jewelry investment in the long run. If you’re serious about buying excellent quality silver then you have to buy from reputable silver manufactures and wholesalers.
Here are some helpful tips for buying silver jewelry. Firstly your supplier should be able to produce a copy of the silver purity certificate for the quality of the raw silver they are buying and if its 999.5 and he is a reputable dealer then your jewelry should be of a high standard and stamped 925 or 985, it will be good quality and a valuable investment. Secondly do your homework first if you intend to buy retail or wholesale silver jewelry, ask your intended manufactures about quality control, what grade raw silver they buy and if you’re doing your own buying from overseas, don’t buy from street stalls and roadside vendors, even if the quality appears good, later you will regret the discounted purchase.

FAQ About Sterling Silver Jewelry

koombh — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0000

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 an 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.