Sterling Silver and Jewellery : A brief history

Now that we have already covered the origins and makeup of sterling silver, we wanted to go a bit more in depth as to how it came to be used in jewellery and explore some key points further.

So, after silver was discovered, it took years to refine it and study its properties before any jewellery was made from it. Once silver was modified enough; a surge was recorded in the demand for silver after 1840. Merchants fervently traded silver to keep up with the growing demands.

Sterling silver was later introduced in the Victorian era, and several silverware were produced out of it. With the popularity of sterling silver at its peak, jewelers found that the properties of sterling silver were perfect to create pieces of jewellery.

Sterling silver easily overtook gold because it was cheaper and readily available unlike gold which was rare at that time.

In this article we want to cover in a little more detail, the main items sterling silver is used for in jewellery, benefits of its use, brief guide on looking after it and lastly the most popular items you must have.

What Is Sterling Silver?

Sterling silver is a combination of pure silver with other metals to create sterling silver. In this alloy, 92.5% of silver is combined with 7.5% of copper or nickel to give the metal its sturdiness needed to produce durable ornaments. 

For this reason, sterling silver is also referred to as 925 silver while pure silver is also called 999 silver as it contains 99.9% silver. 

Without adding another metal to pure silver, the pure metal would be too soft to shape into intricate designs and embellishments. To know more about sterling silver, you can refer to another article that extensively explains the production of sterling silver. 

Further down in the article, you will understand the reasons why sterling silver is popular and what jewellery is made out of it. 

What Kind Of Jewellery Is Made Of Sterling Silver?

While pretty much every item you can think of is made in sterling silver ranging from rings, pendants, chains and bracelets, the most common items have to be the chains and bracelets mostly because of sterling silver’s magnificent properties that earned sterling silver its rightful place in every piece of jewellery a person owns. 

Benefits Of Using Sterling Silver In Jewellery

Sterling silver has exceptional durability and versatility, unlike multiple other metals. Sterling silver allows you to keep up with fashion trends as it offers an extensive variety and options for you to choose from. 

Plus, the metal causes a minimal skin reaction, and most people find it economical and stylish at the same time. The biggest advantage is that it is easy to maintain even once it has tarnished. That takes us to our next point on how to keep sterling silver shiny. 

How To Take Care Of Sterling Silver Jewellery

It is best to know if you have real sterling silver because sterling silver does not need a lot of maintenance, unlike fake silver. Also, it is recommended to keep your piece safe from moisture that will accelerate the metal tarnishing and make it look dark. 

You should store your jewellery in airtight boxes and clean it with a microfiber cloth regularly to remove the tarnish. 

But let us not get too carried away, we have another detailed step-by-step guide on how to keep your sterling silver clean, you can read more about it by referencing it from our article section.

Must-have Sterling Silver Jewellery?

Now yes we know we could go ahead and pick every single item under the sun when it comes to sterling silver but really if we had to pick out 2 items, as mentioned before it would have to be a thin/minimal chain and likewise bracelet. 

These are the kind of sterling silver jewellery that are a valuable addition to day-to-day look and makes you stand out with a hint of contemporary take on embellishments. 

Owning Sterling Silver?

Silver sterling is a very handy metal and is largely used in making ornaments for decades. The metal has been refined to give every piece of jewellery an extraordinary touch. 

For now, sterling silver is extremely popular given how durable, pretty and affordable it is. Sterling silver could easily rank among the most common types of jewellery worn today.