Silver is the queen of metals: luminous and stylish, aesthetic to the eye, sensuous to the touch. Silver jewelry is the key to a woman’s heart.

About Silver Jewelry

Silver is a soft, white, lustrous metal in its pure form, too soft to be used for jewelry and other items, so it is often mixed with another metal like copper or gold. Sterling silver was originally created in sterling, Germany. Consequently the word sterling originated from the birthplace of the first ever sterling silver. To be considered sterling silver, the metal is made up of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper.

Silver has been used to make jewelry for ages, but exploration of the continents in the western hemisphere uncovered richer silver mines than Europeans had ever seen. More silver has been mined and used since the late 1700's than in all prior centuries combined.

Silver was once thought more precious than gold. It is referred to as the metal of the moon and some even believe that it has powers over emotions, the subconscious mind, love and healing.

Silver, as a metallic element, is found both uncombined and in ores of argentite. It has a higher thermal and electrical conductivity than all other metals. It is highly valued for jewelry, tableware, and other ornaments and is widely used in coinage, photography, dental and soldering alloys, electrical contacts, and printed circuits. Atomic number 47; atomic weight 107.87; melting point 960.8°C; boiling point 2,212°C; specific gravity 10.50; valence 1,2.

People have known about silver since antiquity. It has long been valued as a precious metal, and has been used in currency, ornaments, jewelry, and as utensils (hence the term silverware).

Silver is very flexible and ductile, which means that it can be pulled to form a wire or hammered to make thin sheets. When it is used in money or in jewelry, it is often mixed with gold or some other metal to make it harder.

Silver can naturally be found alone or with copper, lead, or gold in rocks. The rocks are found mostly in Canada, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. Mexico produces the most silver.

Silver coins and bars can be bought and sold at coin shops around the world.

Silver is also the brightest reflector of light (except for liquid mercury). In fact, the chemical symbol for silver, Ag, is derived from the Latin word, argentum, meaning “white” or “shining”. The word silver is also used to talk about this color or shade of grey.

The finish on silver can be high polished, brushed (rubbed with an abrasive), satin, oxidized (chemically blackened) or antiqued (chemically “aged”). Sterling silver jewelry that is worn constantly often develops a lovely kind of glow along with some darkened areas. If you like the look, leave it alone. If you prefer a bright and shiny look for your sterling silver, use polish to restore the jewelry to its original appearance.

Taking Care Your Sterling Silver Jewelry

Store your sterling silver jewelry in tarnish prevention cloths or bags. The treated cloth slows down the tarnishing process and keeps the jewelry from rubbing against harder jewelry that can scratch it. Try to keep your sterling silver jewelry in a cool, dry place.

Clean sterling silver with a phosphate free detergent. A low abrasive cleaner, such as 3M Tarni-Shield Silver Polish, is a good choice for removing light tarnish. Some people use toothpaste to clean their sterling silver, but most silver experts caution against it because they feel toothpaste is too abrasive and leaves dulling scratches.

Removing Tarnish

A number of products have been developed for the purpose of polishing silver, such as Silver Cream, which serves to remove sulphur from the metal without damaging or warping the metal. Due to the fact that harsh polishing and scrubbing can permanently damage and diminish the worth of an antique piece of silver, valuable silver is typically hand-polished to preserve the unique patina of an older piece. Techniques such as wheel polishing, which are typically performed by a professional jeweler or silver repair company, should be reserved for extreme tarnish or corrosion.

If a piece of silver jewelry becomes tarnished, use a silver crème, liquid polish or a treated polishing cloth to restore the jewelry to its original appearance.

Things to consider when buying Silver Jewelry

The minimum silver content can also be stated as 925 parts per thousand of pure silver.

The most important consideration when buying silver jewelry is to be sure of its quality and content. Silver jewelry must contain at least 92.5% silver to be considered real, or sterling silver. Coin silver contains 90% silver, while silver bonded to any base metal is referred to as silver plated and is therefore not real silver. When you are buying silver jewelry, look for marks such as sterling, sterling silver, "ster" or 925 imprinted on the jewelry itself.

Another important consideration when buying silver jewelry is its design. Is the piece consistent when you view it from all its sides? Is the silver jewelry something you really love and will wear many times?

If you are looking into purchasing silver jewelry, you have to be the judge as to whether the jewelry is real and how much it will cost you.

When it comes to looking over a piece of jewelry for aesthetic purposes, the piece should not be worn or chipping unless you are looking into antique or used jewelry.

Many times the piece is used or of poor quality and you will have to judge for yourself. The appearance of the piece is the most important thing. Therefore, before purchasing a piece of jewelry, look over it thoroughly for nicks and/or discoloration.

When buying silver jewelry, consider buying several pairs of earrings. Silver earrings are available in many different shapes and sizes to suit many different occasions.

Necklaces are good pieces to consider when buying silver jewelry as there is sure to be a type of silver necklace to go with every outfit

Bracelets are also a popular option when buying silver jewelry. Silver bracelets range from wide, hammered silver cuffs to narrow, simple linked silver chains. An engraved silver bracelet is a timeless classic to consider if you are buying silver jewelry as a gift.

Affordability

Sterling silver jewelry is beautiful... and affordable! Sterling silver jewelry is within reach of nearly any. So fill free to brows out silver Necklaces, Bracelets, Earrings and much more. We are sure that you will be able to find a nice treat for yourself or a beautiful gift for your love ones at an affordable price.

• What is sterling silver?
• When used in jewelry, silver is usually in the form of sterling silver. Sterling silver jewelry, by definition, is composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper alloy.
• What does nickel-free mean?
• Many times nickel, another hard metal, is inserted between the coating and the silver because it aids in the adherence and luster of the plating to the metal. When used in silver jewelry, nickel can cause irritation to those who are sensitive to nickel or have nickel allergies. For that reason, there is nickel-free jewelry available. Although, silverlandla.com still carries some jewelry with nickel plating, a vast majority of our sterling silver jewelry is nickel-free.
• What is rhodium?
• Rhodium is a hard, durable, silvery-white metallic element that is usually used to form high-temperature alloys with platinum. Sterling silver jewelry that is plated with rhodium is resistant to scratching, abrasion and corrosion. Sterling silver jewelry has a tendency to become tarnished rather quickly if exposed to harsh elements, such as sulfur, skin oils, perfumes and many other products that we may contact on a daily basis. Since rhodium is highly acid and chemical resistant, it will withstand this form of contact. Consequently, rhodium plating is an ideal method of protecting silver jewelry from tarnishing. Furthermore, rhodium is also often used to give silver jewelry a beautiful finish.

Disclaimer

SILVERLANDLA.COM DOES NOT SELL ITEMS MANUFACTURED OR LICENSED BY ANY FAMOUS DESIGNER!

SILVERLANDLA.com is not a manufacturer. We are a reseller of the high quality silver jewelry. Although some of the products sold on our site may look similar to those sold by famous designers, they are not made by any famous designer.

We sell affordable reproductions or replicas of popular designs found in the public domain or adaptations of such designs. These may be comparable in quality and design to the products sold by famous designers and manufacturers. However, they do NOT come stamped with the designer's logo or in a logo box.

We may, at times, stock and advertise a product that appears to be a copy of a protected work. Because we respect the intellectual property rights of private designers, it is the policy of SILVERLANDLA.com to suspend the sale of any item claimed to be infringing, provided the third party owner offers reasonable support of such claim in order to permit our staff and legal counsel to conduct an investigation.

SILVERLANDLA.com will immediately and permanently remove any item from sale that infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party. (We may need minimum 5 business day to remove the requested item from our website)