Why Choose Sterling Silver Jewelry?

Along with gold, silver has been used as a staple of jewelry making for thousands of years. Although having a slightly lower value than gold, silver was highly prized by the Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Greeks with the wealthiest adorning themselves in jewelry of all sorts.

Today, sterling silver jewelry is often seen as gold’s poorer cousin it is still a precious metal and is made into all types of jewelry from necklaces to hoop earrings to diamond engagement rings.

Some people simply prefer silver to the different colors of gold (except perhaps white gold). Some people are allergic to gold so silver is a great alternative and above all, silver is way more attractive and valuable than base metals.

Sterling silver deserves a place in any high quality jewelry collection. So, if you are looking for your next great statement piece and you are trying to decide which metal to opt for, then buying sterling silver jewelry is one of the best things that you can do right now, both in terms of its affordable price and the direction that current jewelry trends seem to be going in.

What is Sterling Silver?

The obvious question is “what is the difference between fine silver and sterling silver?”.

Silver is 99.9 percent pure silver. Although beautiful and only suffers minimal tarnishing over time, it is generally too malleable and soft for jewelry. Enter sterling silver. Sterling silver is actually a metal alloy. It contains 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent copper. As an alloy, sterling silver is much harder and more suitable for uses such as jewelry.

This 92.5 percent silver content gives rise to the name 925 silver, the term to which sterling silver is often referred and which is stamped on silver pieces as a hallmark.

Even though the addition of copper doesn’t compromise the color of sterling silver it does make it more liable to tarnishing than pure silver.

Sterling silver should not be confused with other types of silver used in jewelry making which include nickel silver, Argentium silver and Tibetan silver. Also watch for items described as silver-plated. These will be made from a base metal with a really thin coating of sterling silver.

Here are the best reasons to choose 925 sterling silver jewelry:

1. It Is Durable And Light

Silver jewelry is a great choice for those who are looking for something that is lightweight but still durable and strong for carefree wear. If you are looking for jewelry that you can wear often without too much worry about damage, then silver is not a soft metal.

So sterling silver necklaces will not dent or scratch easily and are a practical choice that can be worn every day, sterling silver earrings will not warp or bend out of shape, equally, bracelets will keep their shape and sterling silver rings can withstand daily wear.

There is no reason why sterling silver jewelry should not last a lifetime when you know how to properly care for it and wear it safely.

2. It Is Easy To Customize

Sterling silver is a metal that is very affordable, and also very workable, which means that jewelers can enjoy a lot of freedom in the pieces they create. You will find that a lot of the most experimental and modern jewelry is made from silver because it is the most versatile in terms of craftsmanship.

It can be used from highly delicate pieces made in filigree to heavy chain links. It lends itself equally to grand statement pieces as well as experimental trendy items.



3. It Is Very Versatile

One of the best things about silver jewelry is the fact that it goes with any kind of outfit for any kind of occasion. From a casual weekend party with your closest friends to a black tie formal gala event, sterling silver is something that is always going to elevate an outfit and provide that shimmer of elegance that you are looking for in your personal style.

The neutrality of silver’s color means it can be mixed and matched with all other colors and also with other metals. Wearing mixed metals is back in trend and you can create depth when you mix sterling silver with white gold, platinum and titanium and it provides a lovely contrast to yellow gold and rose gold.

4. It Looks Great With Any Gemstone

Sterling silver complements any kind of gemstone of any color.

From classic diamond engagement rings to emeralds to sapphires to rubies and every other kind of stone that you can think of, there is just something about the glamorous neutrality of sterling silver that makes it the perfect choice to really let a stone shine.

And, of course, the more beautiful a gemstone or diamond ring you have, the better and more valuable a family heirloom it will make to pass on to the future generations of your family. That is one of our favorite things about jewelry in general: the pleasure that it gives you to collect and wear in the present, and then the satisfaction of being able to pass on something so precious when the time comes.

5. Sterling Silver is Hypoallergenic

We’ve already mentioned that some people are allergic to gold but there are also allergies to base metals that are used in jewelry making.

Nickel for example is a commonly used metal in costume jewelry and it is often added to pure silver to improve its malleability and make it stronger. 10 - 20 percent of people are allergic to nickel and it can lead to horrible symptoms like irritated skin, itching and stabbing pains.

Other metals like brass can also cause different kinds of skin reactions like redness, blistering and swelling, so you want to avoid cheaper metals even though they might be tempting for your budget.

Sterling silver is hypoallergenic so you can wear pieces of sterling silver jewelry without the risk of irritation or, even worse, infection. This quality is particularly important in earrings where the risk of allergic reaction is always much higher.

6. It Is Very Easily Finished

The fact that sterling silver tarnishes is its one disadvantage. But, sterling silver can be easily plated or coated with an anti-tarnishing agent to provide that extra level of protection against normal wear and tear and to reduce its sensitivity to air and water.

You will often find sterling silver pieces that are coated in rhodium, which gives them an attractive high gloss finish as well as making them tarnish-resistant. Rhodium coating takes a little extra time at the jewelers, but the finished results are worth it. You might also see sterling silver being plated with pure silver, and this extra layer helps against tarnishing and also provides an extra boost of brightness in the metal.

You should clean sterling silver jewelry regularly to remove any signs of tarnishing that will make it look dull.

7. It Is An Affordable Choice

If you want to build a collection of fine jewelry, it is much easier to build it in sterling silver than gold. Silver is far less expensive than gold - up to 75 percent cheaper per ounce.

Silver is the cheapest of all precious metals.

It is not only affordable for you as a consumer but it is also cheaper for artisan jewelry designers to work with so there is a much greater range of designs and styles available than in gold. There is less cost in wastage for the designer so they are more likely to experiment with unique designs in silver than in gold.

No matter where you are and how you choose to wear it, there is just something about sterling silver jewelry that makes it a timeless and seamless addition to any outfit. In the world of jewelry, sterling silver is undoubtedly the reigning king of versatility.

Build a timeless and luxurious jewelry collection and elevate your personal style by choosing an array of unique sterling silver jewelry by Luxe Fine Jewelers.