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| Sterling silver is the standard
for beautiful high-quality silver jewelry. It's
over 90% pure silver, mixed with alloys to add
strength and durability. And it won't wear down,
as silver plating can. |
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| The silver jewelry and accessories available
at Redford Jewelry are made of beautiful sterling
silver. For our collection, we have chosen classic
designs created by some of the finest silver craftsmen.
This guide will help you learn to identify quality
in silver jewelry and accessories. |
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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.
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 affected by the
labor involved in making the item, the skill of
the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design.
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| Most high quality silver items are stamped
with a "fineness" or "quality"
mark. This mark designates the precious metal content
of the jewelry, and under federal law, must be accompanied
by a maker's mark or registered trademark. |
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Because pure silver is so soft, it should
only be used when malleability is required, such as
in handcrafted jewelry featuring weaving and other
intricate designs.
Sterling silver is most often used for jewelry and
household accessories because of its combination of
beauty and durability. Acceptable quality marks for
sterling silver include:
- sterling
- sterling silver
- ster
- .925
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| 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. |
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| Care should also be taken to prevent
silver 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.
You can find fine silver polishes, solutions, or cloths
appropriate to remove tarnish at most hardware stores
or specialty craft stores. Tarnish is most easily
removed when it first becomes visible.
Although wearing your silver jewelry often is the
best way to prevent tarnish from building up, regular
cleanings of all your silver items will prevent
tarnish and keep your silver bright and sparkling.
Look for the fineness mark and the maker's mark
on the underside of the silver item you are considering
to ensure the quality. |
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