Silver jewelry
A cheap silver jewel is possible…
Contrary to popular belief, a silver jewel is not necessarily expensive, the production of silver has been increasing since antiquity allowing it to be reasonably priced. Above all, the price of a silver jewel is related to the weight of silver used. For small jewels that can be very beautiful, the price can be very reasonable as for example for this bracelet in silver and amber. Here is some information that we hope you will find useful in our pages on precious materials.
A precious metal that matches well with other precious metals
Silver is after gold the second most well-known precious metal for jewelry. Characteristic of the metal itself, the atomic bonds made with other precious metals are very solid, it easily combines with other precious metals such as gold and rhodium to make jewels in vermeil or jewelry in rhodium silver (see our dedicated page). The goal of making these metal platings is usually threefold:
– to change the color
– to make the jewel more resistant
– to sharply reduce oxidation
Don’t hesitate to check out our page“What is rhodium silver?” Silver is one of the most common precious metals, so it makes it possible to make high quality jewelry at reasonable prices.
There are also jewelry plated with other lesser known precious metals such as platinum, palladium or ruthenium which gives it a black color.
What does “925 silver” mean?
Like gold, silver is rarely used completely pure, at least in jewelry, because it is a metal too soft that twists too easily. That’s why jewelers have invented the stronger 925 silver that contains at least 92.5% pure silver allied to a harder metal. This alloy is authenticated by a punch representing the number 925.
What is Sterling silver?
It is simply the same i.e. 925 silver, the name “Sterling silver” being simply the English name of 925 silver. One can also meet the name 925 Sterling silver
What is a solid silver jewel?
A solid silver jewel is a jewel whose parts are made up exclusively of 925 silver. It may eventually be plated with another precious metal.
The silver plated: no great value…
Contrary to what one might think a silver-plated jewelry will not have much more value than a jewel made in a common metal. The silver layer will allow the jewel to protect against allergies, but its thin thickness does not guarantee that over time this will not change. Look out often we find jewelry described as being in “silver metal”, in this case it means that the metal used has the same color as silver but there is no silver at all in its composition.
What punch?
For solid silver jewelry you have to find a punch representing the number 925, and for jewelry weighing more than 30 g, you have to find a Minerva head punch which is a state guarantee. If the 925 punch is not a guarantee in itself as it can be copied, to buy actually a well-known brand specialized in silver jewels is a better guarantee.
How do you clean your jewelry in silver?
One of the problems with silver jewelery is that it oxidizes. Oxidation is therefore the consequences of oxygen molecules and moisture on silver. Their attraction is natural, even if this can be precipitated by external actions such as contact with certain skins, perfumes etc … In this case the silver becomes dull, it can also take dark spots. We have created a special page “How to clean your silver jewelry” that you can consult.
Box of reusable dry wipes for cleaning silver jewelry
Silver Jewelry By Olivier LAFOND
Do you know the French designer O. Lafond jewels? You do not know yet them or under the old brand L’avare? We offer you through our page dedicated to silver jewelry L’AVARE to discover the world of this very fashionable jewelry brand. Very fine jewels in rhodium silver or vermeil, feather earrings, arrows bracelets with cotton thread or Brazilian, etc.
Rhodium-plated silver link and feather bracelet by Olivier Lafond
Related:
- Gold jewelry
- Diamond jewelry
- The different gemstones
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