A Guide to Buying and Wearing Silver Jewellery
Silver jewellery is known for its elegance, sophistication, and subtle beauty. Silver is an extremely versatile metal that can be used to create anything from delicate necklaces and earrings to statement-making pendants, rings, and brooches. Wearing silver jewellery makes you stand out in a crowd because it is so uncommon these days. You don’t need to be rich to look like you are! Silver jewellery is a great way of injecting some luxury into your everyday outfits without going over the top. As with all jewellery, there are lots of different styles and materials available, so it’s important to understand what you’re buying before making an investment in silver pieces. Take a look at our guide to buying and wearing silver jewellery:
What to Look for When Buying Silver Jewellery
There are several things you need to consider when buying silver jewellery. The first is the holographic stamp. This will indicate what percentage of silver is used in the item and was mandatory until recently. Nowadays, it is more important to check the quality of the piece than the amount of silver. If the silver is mixed with other metals such as copper, it can cause the item to tarnish more quickly. The silver used for jewellery should have a high percentage of silver. The second thing is the design and shape of the piece. Silver jewellery can be very versatile and can be worn with an array of different outfits. Silver pieces also come in a variety of styles and designs, such as stamped, studded, twisted, plated, and engraved.
Sterling silver or sterling?Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver; the remaining 7.5% is usually copper. It is more expensive than silver plate and will last longer. It is a stronger metal and can be used in more delicate pieces of jewellery due to its softness. A silver plate is usually a sandwich of silver sandwiched between two layers of copper. It is cheaper than sterling silver and will tarnish quicker. It is also harder and can be used in heavier pieces of jewellery because of its firmness.
Is it solid silver or silver plated?Solid silver is made entirely of silver, whereas silver plate is made of silver plate. Although the plate is slightly cheaper than solid silver, it will tarnish quicker. The main difference between sterling silver and silver plate is that sterling silver will last longer.
Jewelry made of gold and silverWearing gold and silver mixed jewellery is a great way of combining the best of both materials. Mixing the two is often seen as tacky, but the materials can be combined beautifully. The choice is yours, but keep in mind that mixing the two will make your jewellery more expensive.
The guide on how to identify real silverBefore you buy silver jewellery, you need to know what type of silver it is made from. There are several different types of silver that are used in jewellery. You need to identify which one is used in each piece to make sure you’re not buying silver plate. Here’s a simple guide to identifying real silver: Weight: The first thing you should do is pick up the item and check the weight. If it’s a bit on the heavy side, it’s likely to be made from real silver! If it’s light and cheap, it probably has a high percentage of silver plating. Look: Hold the item up against the light and see if you can see a reflection. If so, it’s likely to be made from real silver. Real silver jewellery will have a unique look and feel to it. Scratch Test: Take a coin and scratch the surface. If it leaves a mark, it is likely to be silver plate. If it doesn’t leave a mark or doesn’t scratch at all, it is likely to be real silver. Finally, the acid test for real silver is to place a small amount of household vinegar on it for about 30 seconds and then rinse it off. If there is a black mark, it is likely to be a silver plate. If there is no mark at all, it is likely to be real silver.
Buyer’s Guide: Tips for buying silver jewelleryWhen buying silver jewellery, you want to make sure you’re buying real silver. If a piece of silver jewellery is very inexpensive, it’s likely that it has a high percentage of silver plate, which will tarnish more quickly. When shopping online, you can find a variety of different silver jewellery that has been discounted because it needs to be recycled. This jewellery is usually stamped with "999", which is the standard for silver. If you come across a piece of silver jewellery that is stamped with "Sterling" or "Sterling Silver", it is likely to be real silver.
Sterling silver or sterling?Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver; the remaining 7.5% is usually copper. It is more expensive than silver plate and will last longer. It is a stronger metal and can be used in more delicate pieces of jewellery due to its softness. A silver plate is usually a sandwich of silver sandwiched between two layers of copper. It is cheaper than sterling silver and will tarnish quicker. It is also harder and can be used in heavier pieces of jewellery because of its firmness.
Is it solid silver or silver plated?Solid silver is made entirely of silver, whereas silver plate is made of silver plate. Although the plate is slightly cheaper than solid silver, it will tarnish quicker. The main difference between sterling silver and silver plate is that sterling silver will last longer.
Jewelry made of gold and silverWearing gold and silver mixed jewellery is a great way of combining the best of both materials. Mixing the two is often seen as tacky, but the materials can be combined beautifully. The choice is yours, but keep in mind that mixing the two will make your jewellery more expensive.
The guide on how to identify real silverBefore you buy silver jewellery, you need to know what type of silver it is made from. There are several different types of silver that are used in jewellery. You need to identify which one is used in each piece to make sure you’re not buying silver plate. Here’s a simple guide to identifying real silver: Weight: The first thing you should do is pick up the item and check the weight. If it’s a bit on the heavy side, it’s likely to be made from real silver! If it’s light and cheap, it probably has a high percentage of silver plating. Look: Hold the item up against the light and see if you can see a reflection. If so, it’s likely to be made from real silver. Real silver jewellery will have a unique look and feel to it. Scratch Test: Take a coin and scratch the surface. If it leaves a mark, it is likely to be silver plate. If it doesn’t leave a mark or doesn’t scratch at all, it is likely to be real silver. Finally, the acid test for real silver is to place a small amount of household vinegar on it for about 30 seconds and then rinse it off. If there is a black mark, it is likely to be a silver plate. If there is no mark at all, it is likely to be real silver.
Buyer’s Guide: Tips for buying silver jewelleryWhen buying silver jewellery, you want to make sure you’re buying real silver. If a piece of silver jewellery is very inexpensive, it’s likely that it has a high percentage of silver plate, which will tarnish more quickly. When shopping online, you can find a variety of different silver jewellery that has been discounted because it needs to be recycled. This jewellery is usually stamped with "999", which is the standard for silver. If you come across a piece of silver jewellery that is stamped with "Sterling" or "Sterling Silver", it is likely to be real silver.