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Sterling
silver is basically an alloy of silver, which is mainly used for making
fashionable sterling silver jewelry. It contains 92.5% of silver by
weight and 7.5% of other metals like copper by weight. Sterling silver
has a purity level of 925 parts per thousand. In other words, sterling
silver has a millesimal fineness of 925.Nowadays, sterling silver jewelry items like armlets, anklets, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pendants, etc., are quite in vogue. There are various questions that usually arise in the mind of people regarding sterling silver jewelry. These people generally include prospective buyers and existing users of sterling silver jewelry. Answers to some most sought after or most asked questions about sterling silver jewelry are given under:
Q.1 How do I effectively and easily clean my sterling silver jewelry?
Ans. Sterling silver jewelry does not require much maintenance and it is quite easy to clean it at home. Care should be taken that any hard object or cloth with coarse surface should not be used for removing any dirt or stain from the silver jewelry. For this purpose, the jewelry cloth or 100% cotton (nub-free) cloth is considered ideal.
Moderate cleaning of the sterling silver jewelry can be done by immersing it in warm water with detergent, for 10-15 minutes. After that it should be rinsed and kept for drying. But, in case of intense cleaning, which is usually done for tarnished jewelry, or for jewelry having gemstones, baking soda is considered ideal. For this, line a plastic dish with slightly crumpled aluminum foil and then place the silver jewelry over the foil. Sprinkle some baking soda over the jewelry in such a way so that the jewelry will get covered with it. Finally, pour some boiled water over it. A chemical reaction will take place between aluminum and baking soda, which will remove the tarnish from the jewelry.
Q.2 What is the right way of storing the sterling silver jewelry?
Ans.This is a very significant question from the point of view of the sterling silver jewelry. Proper storage of silver jewelry (when not in use) is as essential as its proper usage, for retaining its shine and beauty. Silver jewelry should be stored in a cool and dark place, away from any source of natural or artificial light. This is so because continuous exposure to intense light may result in color degradation of the sterling silver jewelry items.
The second thing for consideration while storing silver jewelry is that each ornament should be kept in separate packagings to prevent rubbing together of the items. Also, they should be kept in an air-tight plastic bag like anti-tarnish plastic pouches (preferably made of polyethylene or mylar). This prevent the jewelry items to come in contact with moisture. It should be noted that the silver jewelry is not stored in a polyvinyl bag, as it may cause tarnish.
Q.3 What types of silver jewelry platings are used nowadays?
Ans. Silver jewelry is much cheaper and fashionable than gold and platinum jewelry, but unfortunately, unlike the latter the former is subject to chemical processes like oxidation and tarnishing. Anyway, the modern sterling silver jewelry is perfectly coated with various plating materials that prevent it from the aforementioned reactions. Two types of plating elements are mostly used for covering the silver ornaments, viz., nickel and rhodium. Both nickel and rhodium platings provide a bright finish to the jewelry over which they are applied. The difference between the nickel and rhodium plated silver jewelry is that the latter is costlier than the former one. The reason is rhodium plating provides much shimmering and durability to the jewelry item than the nickel plating.
Q.4 How should I test the purity of my sterling silver jewelry?
Ans. Pure sterling silver means the presence of 92.5% of silver in the alloy. Nowadays, most of the sterling silver jewelry come with a “925” stamp, which indicates the authenticity of the jewelry item. However, stamps are sometimes forged and the metal is either not silver or not pure sterling silver. But, such cases are very rare. Still, if you want to ensure the authenticity and purity of your sterling silver jewelry, there is only one appropriate way. You may send it to the laboratory for an authentication test.
Q.5 Is it suitable to get my sterling silver jewelry engraved or resized?
Ans. There is absolutely no problem in getting your sterling silver jewelry engraved or resized. In fact, due to its ductile nature, sterling silver is quite easy to be engraved or resized. The point to consider is that you should choose a proficient silversmith for doing this work because engraving or resizing of silver jewelry requires careful work and not all jewelers possess this skill. Also, in case of beaded jewelry, it's better not to resize because it would cause the stone or bead to pop out.
Q.6 Would it be suitable for me to wear sterling silver jewelry if I am allergic to nickel?
Ans. Yes, you can wear the sterling silver jewelry even if you are allergic to nickel. But, while purchasing the jewelry ensure that it should not be nickel plated. Also, if the jewelry is rhodium plated, you should confirm that it does not contain nickel. This is so because sometimes even the rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry possesses a thin layer of nickel (as an adhesive) between silver and rhodium. It is advisable to buy polished sterling silver jewelry if you are allergic to nickel.
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