Key Points to Consider when Buying Silver Jewellery

Thanks to the growing number of online stores there are more options when it comes to buying Silver Jewellery than ever before. However, do you know what you should consider before you select your Silver Jewellery? What are the differences between fine silver and sterling silver? Let's discuss a few things, to find the answers, which you cannot afford to miss when going shopping for jewellery, or simply wishing to learn about this special precious metal. And here focus our attention on the security and reliability of the source when purchasing from online jewellery stores for men and women. Since jewellery buyers, of both genders today are increasingly conscious of what they are getting online for the money they spend, and the wish that the products they get meet the higher standards. A matter that is especially important when it comes to silver jewellery, notably fine silver jewellery like women’s engagement rings, fine silver necklaces etc.

Why Silver Jewellery is Popular

Silver, is widely available, though less widely used precious metals than gold. Despite its supposed secondary status to its yellow counterpart, silver is nonetheless, widely used in the jewellery industry. And like gold, this precious metal, also comes with its own story. Silver falls into one of the seven key metals that date from antiquity. In fact, their origins date even further, possibly, extending to prehistoric times. Due to its chemical character, and the challenges in mining this metal, the supply of silver, has historically tended to be lower. Until in ancient Egypt, silver refining methods were discovered. Today with the growing popularity of online jewellery sellers, silver has made something of a comeback, notably with advances in alloy technologies which have given rise to new ranges of silver jewellery.

The Presence of Silver Variants

It is important to understand what silver is being used in jewellery that you wear, for often the silver that is used in the making of this kind of jewellery is mixed with certain kinds of alloys. Which determines the final character of the silver jewellery in question. That leads to two main categories of silver jewellery. Fine silver and sterling silver. What are they, and do the differences between them matter? In a sense they do. For when it comes to women’s engagement rings, it is the sterling silver variant that is somewhat popular. As gold and platinum dominate this market. However sterling is very popular in other types of jewellery: like silver pendants and necklaces, necklaces, and other jewellery gift varieties. So online jewellery buyers need to be aware that their varieties of silver, and not all are suited for the making of fine jewellery.

Fine Silver

Fine silver is considered to be 100% pure silver. Fine silver, like gold, cannot be bent, beaten and shaped according to the demands of the jeweller. However, despite its malleability, silver also comes with certain limitations. Fine silver jewellery attracts dents and scratches much easier than its silver counterpart. For this very reason, it is a common practice that fine silver is not used for the purpose of most jewellery making. Hence online jewellery buyers need to be aware of companies that claim to sell pure silver jewellery, a problem that is especially real when it comes to buying women’s jewellery online.

Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver is the brightest among all other silver variants and people prefer wearing silver due to its affordability and of course they are bright sparkly lightweight. Owing to the limitations of pure silver, fine silver is mixed with various alloys. Whilst ones one does not encounter 14K, or 18K classification one finds for gold jewellery. Jewellery made with sterling silver is understood for the presence of various metal alloys. So sterling silver is the top choice when it comes to buying women’s rings under this metal type, and it is important that you inquire about the alloy character of the silver. If you wish to learn more about the particular differences between the various types of silver, check out our educational content on silver that engages this topic in detail. 

On the downside, however, these metals can easily get discoloured and stained and avoiding them is a difficult task. But if you are a Sterling Silver Jewellery lover and if you are on the lookout for sterling silver to last a lifetime, try considering these factors when doing your next purchase. is what is generally used by the jewellery makers, they roughly have a 7.5% of other metals mixed with silver. Hence when going for women’s rings, it is important that price be factored in. As not all sterling silver is the same. With some metals having a higher alloy percentage, which is done so to increase the hardiness to increase the durability and to create that lust and shine, in fact, it is the silver colour that we are familiar with.

Is your Silver Jewelry Handmade or Casted

It is crucial to know whether your jewellery is handmade or cast. Handmade jewellery is literally made using the hands of the craftsman where individual attention is given to each and every piece of jewellery and the quality of materials used for handmade jewellery is of very high quality unlike is cast or machine-made. Casting is somewhat similar to machine-made jewellery, it is a process where jewellery is made using casts which are made using the moulds which come in the shape of the jewellery. The few benefits of casted jewellery are it's much cheaper, imperfections are very less. Quality of handmade jewellery generally comes on a higher side, because every piece from start till the end is done with love and care to make fine jewellery. Good online jewellery stores often market their ability to handcraft jewellery, including women’s engagement rings, and other women’s jewellery.

Silver Coated Jewellery

Designers often use platinum, rhodium and gold plating to avoid these precious metals from tarnishing, but comes with a price tag on jewellery which is usually plated since it's considered an upgrade. The thickness of the plating on the silver jewellery will decide the durability and life span. But it is also important to know that even the plated silver can be prone to wear out over time. There are two main metals with which silver jeweller is coated, and they are done so for a number of reasons.

Gold Plating of Silver Jewellery

The use of gold plating is a cost-effective option for those looking for that golden sheen. Since silver is cheaper, a plated option is always tempting. However, the quality of the finish comes down to the nature of the coating. For if done well, the silver colour beneath is well covered a tone of gold. And this comes down to the thickness of the gold plating. Which could go from 5-to 2.5 microns. Just remember that the effects are not permanent. Gold plated silver jewellery are very popular as a side option, especially when they are combined with more affordable gemstone types like garnets and topaz. 

Platinum Plated Silver Jewellery

For those who wish for a finer finish for their fine jewellery, certain silver jewellery types are coated with platinum. This is done as a protective layer on the surface of the metal. Since silver is a metal that oxidizes quickly, leading to the tarnishing of its colour, and is much softer than other harder metal varieties. Which leaves it open to scratches. So a platinum coating is meant to make it resistant to oxidation and more resistant to wear. And it also adds a light, white sheen that makes the silver jewellery more beautiful. It must be noted that not all online jewellery stores in Australia are doing this, it is important that you have to learn about the jewellery crafting capabilities of your jeweller of choice.

How Thin Are the Layers of Platinum in your Silver Jewellery

It only takes a very thin layer of platinum to keep silver untarnished and bright, so extremely small quantities of platinum are used as plating. If you have a large quantity of platinum-plated silver items that you would like to recycle with a qualified silver and platinum refinery like Special Metals Smelters and Refiners, how much platinum can you expect to recover? It depends on how the jewellery was manufactured; platinum could represent as little as 1% or less of the metal that you own or as much as 5%. How can you tell? Call us at 800-426-2344 and we can explain how we test platinum-plated items to determine their value.

Silver Jewellery Sizing

Sizing is rather a crucial point to remember when purchasing silver jewellery, this has been one reluctant point the jewellers or dealers will try their luck with. The process of sizing will expose the part of the actual silver which is in the piece of jewellery, the jeweller could always re-plate the jewellery after sizing but it’s a costly procedure for them. In general, it’s always safe to check for imperfections and blemishes, checking to make sure that the clasps, hooks work well and secure a perfect fit. Sterling silver jewellery is an excellent choice of metal for jewellery, however, will have to keep an eye on the final quality of the precious metal. Thus it is best to make your purchases from a reputable seller and always be sure to ask relevant questions on the key characteristics of the stone. A key point in the assessment of sterling silver jewellery is hallmarking.

Hallmarking of Sterling Silver Jewellery

One of the most ignored factors that we are unaware of when purchasing jewellery in general either gold or silver is the “hallmarking”, this is an official way to assure that the correct purity of metals is in your jewellery. It is always best to look for the “hallmark” marks in your jewellery. Now when we say hallmark, is it proof to say that your jewellery piece contains 92.5%, Sterling Silver. Making sure the hallmark details are known will probably avoid you from buying imitation jewellery that has a thin layer of silver or mixed with other alloys. If it’s above the hallmark, there is always the chance of the jewellery being too soft and might not be able to stand for everyday use and on the other hand, if the silver content is too low, your jewellery might be resistant to discolouration. So when it comes to the purchase of women’s rings has been hallmarked, thereby knowing that it meets quality standards when it comes to jewellery.