Silver Jewelry Education

Why Sterling Silver?
Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft, very malleable, and easily damaged so it is commonly combined with other metals to produce a more durable product. The most popular of these alloys is sterling silver, which consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper.

Although any metal can make up the 7.5 percent non-silver portion of sterling, centuries of experimentation have shown copper to be its best companion, improving the metal's hardness and durability without affecting its beautiful color. Sterling silver is most often used for jewelry because of its beauty and durability.

The small amount of copper added to sterling has very little effect on the metal's value. Instead, the price of the silver item is determined by the labor involved in making the item, the skill of the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design.

Stamps of Quality
Most high quality silver items are stamped with a "fineness" or "quality" mark. This mark designates the precious metal content of the jewelry. Acceptable quality marks for sterling silver include:


Care
With proper care, your fine quality silver will last a lifetime. To minimize scratches and other damage, store your silver jewelry either in a cloth pouch or in a separate compartment in your jewelry box. Avoid exposing your silver to household chemicals when cleaning with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these chemicals can damage silver.

Clean Your Silver Regularly
Care should also be taken to prevent tarnish build-up, a dulling that naturally occurs when silver reacts with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide in the ambient air. To clean your silver, use polishes formulated specifically to remove tarnish. We suggest our Sunshine Polishing Cloth, or Hagerty Silver Cleaning Cloth.... Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes visible.

Good to know!
Although wearing your sterling silver jewelry often is the best way to prevent tarnish from building up, regular cleaning will keep your silver bright and sparkling.