Sterling silver bracelets are among the most versatile pieces of jewelry you can own, since they go with virtually anything. You can use plain silver bracelets for a classic look or complement it with accessories such as a string of pearls for a dressier look. They are also appropriate for men and women of all ages to wear and are affordable to boot.
When choosing sterling silver bracelets, keep in mind that the silver used to make bracelets is not pure silver since this is too soft to be molded into durable jewelry. This is why the silver used in jewelry is called sterling silver since it is an alloy that was mixed with other metals. Silver cannot be advertised as being sterling unless it contains at least 92.5% pure silver. So when you’re buying your silver charm bracelets be sure to look out for fineness marks such as 925 or ster on the jewelry to indicate it has the correct silver content.
The type of metal usually used to make sterling silver is copper. This helps make the silver harder to be durable jewelry. It sometimes tarnish easier with this metal though. It can also cause ones skin to turn green. If you are one of the people who has had that problem, there are ways to correct it. You can get an additional layer of metal put over the piece where it touches your skin to prevent it from turning green, also always make sure that your skin is dry before putting on your jewelry.
Because of the drawbacks of using the copper-silver mix. It has recently been invented a new sterling silver mixture that is harder and more durable than the silver that is being used and it does not tarnish. This new alloy is a mix of platinum and silver, the name of this is platinum sterling. There were three formulas of this created in 2003. The inventor of this is Marc Robinson. Not many jewelry designers are using this type of alloy yet. But you can expect that it will be used more often in the near future.
To maintain your sterling silver bracelets you will have to use tarnish prevention cloths. These are fabrics made from 100% cotton flannel and impregnated with materials that absorb the gases that cause tarnishing before they can affect your jewelry. You can line your jewelry boxes with this cloth using white glue such as Elmer’s Glue; never use sulfur-based cements or glues. Also, make sure that the cloth does not get wet since this will diminish its effectiveness. You can use bags made with these cloths as well, which will also prevent individual pieces from rubbing against each other, which might scratch them.
After you have worn your silver bracelets for a while you will notice that they get a patina, this is a coating of oxide that give it a dull glow and will create darkened areas. Some feel that this adds character to the jewelry while tohers feel this is very tacky. If you are one of those people that do not like this then you can wipe off the patina with a cloth used for polishing and it will restore it original beauty.
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