Sterling Silver Jewelry Sparkles with Versatility

It is not hard to understand why sterling silver jewelry is such a popular kind of ornamentation. Sterling sparkles and shines with a rich luster, it is very fashionable and it adds a sense of elegance and sophistication to any wardrobe. And, sterling jewelry is available in just about any style and design genre that is made, from the dark undertones of Gothic jewelry to the ancient patterns of Celtic jewelry.

True sterling silver jewelry is made from a composite of pure silver combined with another metal to give it added strength and durability. Most often the alloy metal that is added to the pure silver is copper, although other similarly durable metals can also be used. The most important aspect of assuring that silver is of sterling quality is the ratio of silver to the alloy. Sterling is always comprised of 925 parts of pure silver with 75 parts of the alloy, making it 92.5% silver.

Any item that is made of sterling, including any sterling silver jewelry, will have a tiny impression stamped somewhere on it that says "925." This is proof that the item has actually been crafted from 925 sterling and this means that it contains 92.5% pure silver. Sometimes the jewelry manufacturer or the designer also includes their own stamp on the item next to the "925" mark.

Silver is considered to be a precious metal. It is highly reflective and very lustrous which is part of the reason why it is one of the most popular metals used in jewelry products today. And, while jewelry fashioned from sterling is certainly not cheap, it is much more affordable than gold jewelry or platinum jewelry which are simply too expensive for many people.

Silver jewelry has a rich and distinctive look and can easily be recognized for its very reflective and brilliant shine, which is one of its trademark characteristics. The brilliant look of sterling and its durability lends itself to almost unlimited versatility, in the variety of jewelry and other items that can be made from this wonderful material. Jewelry fashioned from sterling can be fun and casual, or classy and elegant, and anything in between.

Some sterling silver jewelry is treated with a protective coating to help prevent tarnishing since it will naturally tarnish over time. Sterling first shows signs of tarnish when a yellowish cast appears on the piece. This is the stage at which it is easiest to remove any tarnish. The next stage of tarnish occurs when a blackish tint becomes apparent, especially in the nooks and crannies of the design.

It is interesting to note that this stage of tarnish usually only occurs when the jewelry is stored without any kind of tarnish protection over a prolonged period of time. In most cases, tarnish does not happen on jewelry that is worn regularly. The reason for this is that there is gentle friction that is created by wearing the jewelry especially when combined with contact to the skin. The combination of the friction and the oils from the skin actually help to keep your sterling jewelry sparkling bright and lively looking.

Even though wearing your sterling silver jewelry will help to keep it in good condition, you should also take the extra step of cleaning it on a routine basis. A simple way to do this is to dip a soft cloth into a dish of warm water that has had a couple drops of dishwashing detergent added. There are also specially treated jewelry cleaning cloths that you can buy which will make cleaning your jewelry a very simple task.