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When I make jewelry from silver, I price it according to what I feel is a fair price for my creativity, time, and materials. This results in very reasonable prices. So much so, that sometimes people question the authenticity of the materials. This questioning is understandable, given the fact that there are other items of jewelry available that are 'silver' but not sterling silver. Here is an explanation of the different types of silver commonly used in jewelry. We will start with "Sterling Silver". This is the most accepted form of silver for the jewelry industry. It is used in fine jewelry all over the world. The formula is 92.5% pure silver and the balance is copper. The copper is added to give the metal strength because pure silver is too soft to use in jewelry. Sterling silver is the most beautiful of all the silver alloys (a mixture of two or more metals). The luster and color is unsurpassed. Sterling silver has always stood alone in quality, intrinsic value and of course beauty. The formula for sterling silver has gone unchanged for centuries. I am sure the reason for this is that something so perfect needs no change. Fine Silver: This is a very pure form of Silver (99.9% pure). Fine Silver is sometimes used in jewelry to take advantage of it's soft and malleable characteristics. The most common use is a bezel. Bezel is usually the part in jewelry that holds the stones in place. Being softer than Sterling Silver, Fine Silver Bezel can be easily shaped and burnished to conform to the shape of the stone being set. Silver: This is the term most often used in the jewelry industry to indicate Sterling Silver. The reason for this is that Sterling Silver is the most common form of silver used in fine jewelry. Thus, it has become commonplace to refer to Sterling Silver as Silver. German Silver: The composition of this alloy is 65% Copper, 23% Zinc, and 12% Nickel. This yellow white alloy is often used for decorative purposed and for optical frames (glasses) and is highly corrosion resistant. There is another close relative to German Silver and it is called Nickel Silver. It is mostly copper with 18% nickel and about 17% Zinc. Nickel is very common in costume jewelry and is also a very common base metal for items plated in silver. As the term implies, Coin Silver is used in the making of coins. In the United States, the most common formula is 90% pure silver and the balance is made up of other metals. Today this formula is still used in jewelry but no longer in the manufacture of coins in the United States. Did you know that the nickels in the USA are actually just 25% nickel? The remainder 75% is copper. Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
To learn more about how silver jewelry can impact your health, visit EnergyRings.com. This site features copper, gold and silver jewelry designed to improve your health and beauty. Copper Bracelets and Copper Rings are quite original.
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