Tuesday, November 15, 2011

925 Sterling Silver Jewellery Information

Pure 99.9% silver is a very precious noble metal, similar to gold in its properties. Its color is white and shinny, malleable and ductile, soft and easy to work with. Pure silver does not oxidize in contact with water or air and does not change colors. Pure 99.9% silver is a very precious noble metal, similar to gold in its properties. Pure silver does not oxidize in contact with water or air and does not change colors. Sterling silver is used to produce durable solid silverware for special occasions, silver trays, utensils, etc. 925 sterling silver is not as expensive as pure silver. Gems and precious stones look even better when mounted in handcrafted silver jewellery rings, earrings, necklaces or bracelets.
Some facts about tarnishing
Noble metals like gold and silver do not tarnish. Men's silver costume jewellery
Last century, most men only wore a wedding ring, perhaps a medal or cross if they were raised Catholic, and their watch. Men wear earrings, studs, piercings, all kinds of rings, bracelets, necklaces, etc.
Rose Gagnon is an expert in the field of noble metals and jewellery, specialized in sterling silver jewellery and pure silver.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Silver and Gold Pendants - A Buyers Guide

Pendants are adornments for necklaces. Pendants are often made from various precious metals and decorated with precious minerals or an engraved pattern.
Silver Pendants
Sterling silver is the standard grade used for jewellery. Sterling Silver should be marked '925'.
Gold Pendants
As with most gold jewellery, pendants can be made from yellow and white gold. As gold is not naturally white it is worth being mindful that, over time white gold may need to be restored. A 9 carat, solid gold pendant could contain around 35% pure gold whereas and 18 carat solid gold pendant would contain 75% pure gold. This drastically changes the price. Any solid gold jewellery should be engraved with a hallmark. 9ct gold should have the number '375' engraved and 18ct gold will have '750'.
Gemstones and Decoration
A large number of pendants include gemstones or other decorative materials with varying values. One commonly used material is mother of pearl. Other precious stones may be used to decorate pendants but diamonds are a very popular addition to gold pendants. These are generally set into yellow of white gold of 18ct purity or higher.
Costs
Plain or engraved 9ct yellow gold pendants should cost £50 - £100. 

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Brief Introduction of 925 Silver and Maintenance Tips

Anodic oxidation on silver jewelry -- the so-called anodic oxidation treatment in the most direct way is to plate the jewelry with a very thin layer of white alumina. This treatment is being used wildly on silver jewelry now.
a. What is 925 silver
Generally speaking, the sterling silver jewelry sold in the market is made of 925 silver instead of 999 sterling silver. 925 silver is a kind of alloy which combines 7.5% of other metals and 92.5% of silver, and it is internationally recognized as sterling silver. The jewelry made of 925 silver is stronger and more durable. Compared with the jewelry made of 999 sterling silver, the jewelry made of 925 silver can keep its shape and does not deforms easily, at the same time, the surface of the jewelry will not wear too much or need constant polishing.
b. How to maintain sterling silver jewelry
The biggest reason that leads silver oxidation is the oxygen in the air, so the best way of maintenance is to use air barrier, for example, silver jewelry should be put in a sealed plastic bag and then into the jewelry box, blocking air contact with the silver. When silver jewelry is oxidized, silver polishing dip (SP dip) or silver polishing cloth (SP cloth) can be used to polish the jewelry. Claire Churchill loves all those beautiful jewelry and enjoys working in the jewelry business.