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Silver Learning Center
Silver Learning Center
Silver has been one of the most popular precious metals to be used in fashion jewelry throughout history. Its relative affordability has made it a desirable alternative for designer jewelers and consumers alike.
View Zoara's alluring collection of Silver Jewelry.
Silver Alloys
Due to its luster, malleability and affordability, silver is the most common jewelry metal. Like gold and platinum, silver must be alloyed with other metals to reinforce its strength and durability. In its pure form, silver is too malleable and easily damaged to be used in jewelry. Sterling silver is the highest quality and most popular silver alloy, typically composed of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper, and can also be referred to as .925 fine silver. Sometimes the copper is mixed with a small amount of zinc or nickel as well. Frequently, sterling silver is coated with a thin finish of either silver or rhodium to help improve durability.
Silver Markings
The standardized quality of silver jewelry must be marked on all pieces of silver jewelry according to US law. These "fineness" marks are stamped into the metal and indicate the ratio of pure silver to added alloys, and can appear marked as sterling, sterling silver, 925, 92.5 or .925. A maker's mark or trademark must accompany the quality stamp. Always look for both brandings to guarantee the quality of your silver jewelry.
Silver Pricing
Silver is the most common of all precious metals which makes it more affordable than either gold or platinum. It is also one of the easiest metals to extract which keeps production prices low. Typically silver is valued at 1/75 the price of gold. The price of silver jewelry is dependent on the fineness, or quality, of the silver and on the amount of labor, intricacy of design, and level of craftsmanship required to fashion the piece.
Silver Care
As with all fine jewelry, it is important to treat your silver jewelry with care. Remove your silver jewelry when engaging in any activity that may cause scratching or chipping, such as gardening, painting or outdoor sports. It is also recommended that you remove your silver jewelry when swimming or working with household chemicals such as ammonia or bleach as these chemicals can cause permanent damage. Silver jewelry should always be stored in soft, dry, individual pouches to keep it from scratching against other items.
To remove tarnish, look for specially made silver polishing products which are safe, simple and inexpensive. Zoara recommends that you clean your silver jewelry regularly in order to prevent tarnish build up and to keep your jewelry looking like new.
