Silver jewelry is definitely everywhere with the classic silver trend returns — chances are, you probably already own one or two of these pieces.
Aside from its aesthetic quality, silver jewelry is also praised for its properties that make jewelry pieces valuable, durable, and ideal for everyday use. But with the many types of silver and silver jewelry designs arising in the market at different price points, it can be hard to scrutinize if what you’re buying is the product that you intended to buy in the first place.
So we made a comprehensive buying guide on silver jewelry and what to look for to make the most out of your purchase. Read on to find out what are the things you need to know about buying silver jewelry.
There Are Different Types Of Silver Used In Jewelry-Making
The first thing that you need to know about buying silver jewelry is jewelry makers use different varieties of silver. Different silver means different effects on the jewelry’s durability and wearability. So you really need to choose carefully in order to render the best effect of wearing silver styles.
So far, jewelry makers use three types of silver in jewelry making: sterling silver, pure silver, and silver plate.
- Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is the most popular type of silver used in jewelry because of its durability and strength. It’s composed of 92.5% pure silver with the remaining percentage being a mix of other metals like nickel and copper.
This ratio is standard in jewelry-making because it makes the jewelry very durable to scratches and other elements. Nicks and small scratches can be removed through polishing with repairs being reasonably priced, unlike other silver counterparts.
When buying sterling silver, always look at the indication or mark on the jewelry itself. Usually, jewelry makers will have “.925”, “STER”, “STERLING”, or “STG” engraved on the material to indicate that it is genuine sterling silver. Others will have a verification card included.
To make sure that your jewelry is genuine STR, buy from reputable stores and trusted sellers. Sterling is more expensive compared to fashion jewelry but is less expensive compared to fine jewelry.
- Pure Silver
Pure silver commonly refers to fine silver where 99.9% of the material used is pure silver.
While it may come across as the purer the silver, the better it is, that might not be always the case. For example, you don’t want to use pure silver in jewelry that is easily exposed to certain elements like dust, scratches, and moisture. Pure silver is incredibly malleable and over time, it can lose its shape.
So is it worth it to buy pure silver jewelry? That depends on you. Pure silver is still highly valuable for some and is usually used in pendants, charms, earrings, and other delicate jewelry. If you want to add pure silver jewelry to your collection, it’s important to take proper measures to make sure that it won’t get damaged.
- Silver Plated Jewelry
Silver-plated jewelry contains the least amount of silver compared to the other types. There’s no definitive amount of silver used and it’s expected that the ratio of other metals to silver is much bigger.
This kind of jewelry is essentially made with other base metals (commonly copper and nickel) and coated with a thin layer of silver. It looks just like any other silver jewelry but the main difference is the longevity of the item.
Over time, silver plated jewelry can flake off and expose the base material. This makes it look tarnished or rusted. Silver-plated jewelry is the most affordable option and is mostly used in mass-produced fashion and costume jewelry.
You Can Perform Simple Authenticity Tests
When buying silver jewelry, especially fine ones, you should always be vigilant that what you’re buying is the real deal.
Aside from buying from reputable stores and having proper documents authenticating the product, there are also some tricks that you can do to ensure authenticity. These are not foolproof and 100% accurate but it’s a good start.
Here are some authenticity tests that you can do to determine if the silver jewelry you’re buying is the real deal:
- Get a piece of white cloth and rub the silver with it. If there are black marks present on the cloth, then that means it’s real silver due to oxidizing.
- Use a strong magnet and check if the metal is magnetic. Real silver is a non-magnetic material.
- Do a sound test by tapping a metal object to the silver. If the tone produced is high-pitch with a vibration that lasts for a few seconds, then that is true silver. Lower tones can indicate that the material is only silver-plated.
If you’re buying silver jewelry online, especially the sterling silver and fine silver varieties, then make sure that the online store that you’re buying from is legitimate and trustworthy. Usually people tend to buy from reputable jewelry stores such as JewelryBund: 12+ years of reliable jewelry supplier serving all sorts of silver jewelry products.
Popular Silver Jewelry Styles You Want to Know Before Buying
There are tons of styles silver jewelry in the market, but what are the most popular ones? Let’s review some of the creative designs that are favored by most of fashionable women as below,
1. Silver Elegant Pendant Necklace
If you want to be graceful and show your statement, then this style of silver jewelry is definitely your choice. Many young ladies nowadays enjoying wearing such type of silver jewelry because it usually will match a variety of different pendants, with multiple choices and elements, girls can easily wear this type of silver jewelry in most occasions and can mix it with their vairous outfits easily.
2. 9s5 Sterling Silver Huggies
For fashion ladies who want to be looked as capable and professional, this type of silver jewelry will be the best choice. This style of silver earrings piece will usually come with gemstone or zircon decoration, so it will look blingly charming and with business type capability. Office ladies love the sterling silver huggies a lot, you can wear all types of clothing to office by wearing such type silver jewelry to show your beauty with elegance.
3. Unique Design of Silver Ring
Minimalists love this type of silver jewelry. Unique designs such as snake style, floral pattern or irregular artistic design are very popular among young ladies especially who are chasing the minimal styles. Silver texture itself presents the essence of minimalism, so with simple, minimal designs, it well cater to these women’s needs. Additionally, they can be worn with most of the dresses or outfits.
4. Silver Tennis Bracelet
This type of bracelet used to be very fashionable two decades ago, and now it makes its way to come back to women’s love. The cool design can always render girls who want to be looked as unique with classic fashion. It will also look attractive if you wear it with other styles of bracelets, the mix-up fashion is really in now and this type of silver jewelry can work as an positive increment as a whole.
5. Vintage Style Sterling Silver Brooch
Wearing brooch used to be very popular in the past, but such fashion comes back recently among fashion girls especially modeled by some major celebrities. Ladies nowadays start to wear this type of sterling silver jewelry to formal events, and this piece of silver brooch works a perfect decoration to render the elegant tepermant. So when you are buying silver jewelry, this style should be taken into consideration as well to follow the latest silver jewelry trends.
After Sales Care Is A Must When Buying Silver Jewelry
If you’re splurging on silver jewelry by buying fine silver or sterling silver, then it’s only natural that you want your jewelry to last long.
For fine silver and sterling silver, jewelry stores usually have cleaning services offered for these pieces. If you bought from a jewelry-designated store, some would actually offer free silver cleaning and polish. But if not, then you might want to invest in products that are specifically made for silver jewelry maintenance such as silver cleaner and polisher.
On the other hand, silver-plated jewelry will eventually tarnish as the daily wear-and-tear slowly rubs off the silver coating. But, you can still prolong its appearance by taking care of it as you would an STR or fine silver.
The general rule is to avoid prolonged exposure to water, chemicals (from make-up, lotions, alcohol, etc.), and other elements. After wearing your silver jewelry, it’s best to wipe it with a microfiber cloth to remove any residual dust or moisture before storing it.
Related post you may want to read and learn: Useful tips about how to wear 925 sterling silver jewelry
Each piece of jewelry can differ in the cleaning and storing process depending on the materials used. When in doubt, you can ask the shop itself for proper care and storage before you buy a certain piece. This allows you to determine if that certain silver jewelry will fit your lifestyle and jewelry-wearing habits.
