Ratna Jyoti:: Silver Education
The silver jewelry and accessories available at Ratna Jyoti are made of beautiful sterling silver. For our collection, we have chosen classic designs created by some of the finest silver craftsmen. This guide will help you learn to identify quality in silver jewelry and accessories.
Sterling silver is the standard for beautiful high-quality silver jewelry. It s over 90% pure silver, mixed with alloys to add strength and durability. And it wont wear down, as silver plating can.
Sterling Silver Jewelry
For jewelry that lasts, all our silver jewelry, like this Sweetheart Locket, is pure sterling silver.
Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft, very malleable, and easily damaged so it is commonly combined with other metals to produce a more durable product. The most popular of these alloys is sterling silver, which consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper.
Although any metal can make up the 7.5 percent non-silver portion of sterling, centuries of experimentation have shown copper to be its best companion, improving the metals hardness and durability without affecting its beautiful color.
The small amount of copper added to sterling has very little effect on the metal s value. Instead, the price of the silver item is affected by the labor involved in making the item, the skill of the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design.
Most high quality silver items are stamped with a fineness or quality mark. This mark designates the precious metal content of the jewelry, and under federal law, must be accompanied by a maker s mark or registered trademark.
Because pure silver is so soft, it should only be used when malleability is required, such as in handcrafted jewelry featuring weaving and other intricate designs.
Sterling silver is most often used for jewelry and household accessories because of its combination of beauty and durability. Acceptable quality marks for sterling silver include:
With proper care, your fine quality silver will last a lifetime. To minimize scratches and other damage, store your silver jewelry either in a cloth pouch or in a separate compartment in your jewelry box. Avoid exposing your silver to household chemicals when cleaning with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these chemicals can damage silver.
Care should also be taken to prevent silver tarnish build-up, a dulling that naturally occurs when silver reacts with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide in the ambient air. To clean your silver, use polishes formulated specifically to remove tarnish. You can find fine silver polishes, solutions, or cloths appropriate to remove tarnish at most hardware stores or specialty craft stores. Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes visible.
Although wearing your silver jewelry often is the best way to prevent tarnish from building up, regular cleanings of all your silver items will prevent tarnish and keep your silver bright and sparkling.
Look for the fineness mark and the maker s mark on the underside of the silver item you are considering to ensure the quality.
When selecting a setting for a diamond, we recommend using a platinum head. Platinum s cool white sheen beautifully accentuates the sparkle and brilliance of a diamond, and its great strength holds the gem firmly.
