The Sterling Silver Seduction

Posted on Wednesday, October 19th, 2016 in Fashion Trends, Informational, Precious Metals, Sterling Silver, Uncategorized.



Sterling Silver is having its shining moment right now in the fine jewelry industry. We’ve been noticing a lot of customers coming into the store looking for one thing in particular: Sterling Silver jewelry. The metal’s appearance and affordability are just two reasons why this precious metal continues to be a popular choice among fine jewelry shoppers. Known for its bright whitish-grey color and lustrous finish, Sterling Silver nicely accents both colored and colorless gemstones and can easily be worn with other gold and platinum jewelry. Did you know that…

  • Sterling Silver must contain at least 92.5% pure silver. The other 7.5% consists of other more durable metals (usually copper).
  • The origin of the word “Sterling” has been heavily debated. Some believe that it was first used be Eastern Germans who would pay for English cattle with silver coins called “Easterlings.” Others believe that the name came from the Old English word “steorling,” which means little star (since early Norman pennies were imprinted with a small star). Either way, the name has been used to refer to high quality silver for thousands of years.
  • Some of the largest silver mines in the world can be found in Poland, Mexico, South America, and Australia.
  • Reseraches have discovered that silver has the power to destroy harmful bacteria and heal wounds.

Sterling Silver Cons

  • It tarnishes. As silver reacts with the air, it begins to form a dull, black layer. This layer can easily be removed with a polishing cloth or silver cleaner. Overtime, this process can start to become cumbersome and you may regret ever buying silver jewelry. If you ever want to avoid having to continuously clean your silver jewelry, we suggest that you take your pieces to a jeweler and have them place a fresh layer of rhodium on the outside of the jewelry piece. This will help prevent tarnishing and make your jewelry last even longer.
  • It’s very soft. One of the reasons why we never recommend setting large, precious gemstones in silver is because you risk the chance of breakage and losing the gemstone. It’s also important to keep in mind that because silver is so soft, it is more prone to scratches than other more durable metals.

Sterling Silver Pros

  • It’s affordable. Sterling Silver is considerably less expensive than other precious metals. Both gold and platinum demand a much higher price.
  • It’s beautiful. Considered the brightest of all precious metals, Sterling Silver can make any jewelry piece stand out.
  • You may notice a greater selection of Sterling Silver pieces when searching for jewelry. Because it is so affordable, many jewelry designers are able to experiment and create new pieces with this precious metal. Because of this, you may find exactly what you’re looking for in Sterling Silver.

emerald stacking ring

sterling silver bangle

sterling silver studs