 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 | |  | |  | |  |
Q. Is your Sterling Silver pure?
A. There is no such thing as pure silver jewelry. It would be to soft to design any piece of jewelry
in a pure state, including gold and platinum. Sterling silver is the purest form of silver there is.
When you see sterling referred to as 925, it simply means that 92.5% of the whole is sterling,
while the other 7.5% is made of other metals, usually copper. Or, 925 parts of 1000 is silver and
the other 75 parts are metal. The 7.5% of other metal is used to harden the silver and make it
possible to create jewelry.
Q. Is all sterling silver the same?
A. No! Remember that sterling silver consists of 925 parts of sterling. It is the other 75 parts
that create different grades of sterling silver. The silver that comes from Italy most likely uses a
different metal composition than the silver from Mexico.
Q. Does all sterling silver tarnish?
A. YES! All sterling silver does tarnish. It oxidizes when it is exposed to air. In addition to air,
chlorine seems to be an enemy to sterling silver. The acid in one’s skin may change the rate in
which something tarnishes. Also, if you are the type of person that uses lotions, hair sprays,
perfumes, or other chemicals, the jewelry may tarnish at a more rapid rate. Sweat also plays a
role in the rate of tarnishing. Keep in mind that certain medications can change the acid levels
in your body, changing the rate of tarnishing at a given point in time.
Q. How do I slow down the tarnishing?
A. First and foremost, keep your jewelry in an airtight container or zip lock bag when it is not
being worn. This will DRASTICALLY slow down, not stop, the tarnishing. Jewelry boxes are not
airtight so keeping them in one will not slow the tarnish process.
Q. How do I keep my jewelry clean?
A. See Silver Care
