Sterling Silver Pendants

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to CSP Gift Consulting. That way you'll never miss announcements and news of cool new products and services. Thanks for visiting!

The use of silver to make jewelry has been around for centuries, and although the silversmith techniques have changed somewhat throughout the years, the attention to quality and detail has not. Sterling silver, at one time was reserved only for those who were wealthy, and few could afford it.

Thankfully, in the modern world Sterling silver has become much more affordable and one does not need to be wealthy in order to have a Sterling silver pendant within their jewelry wardrobe. In today’s market it is relatively easy to choose a quality Sterling silver pendant, if you keep your eyes open to the little details. They make great gifts, too — especially in the shape of a heart for Valentine’s Day.

Read on and you’ll be equipped with information to impress the person you are gifting with silver.

Sterling silver is made from silver ore, which is then combined with other metal alloys in order to give the silver strength. 100% pure silver ore is very pliable and tends to quickly loose its shape. The most common alloy used is copper. When copper is added to the silver it does not alter the color, but provides the new alloy with the necessary strength to hold its shape, ensuring that your Sterling silver pendant will maintain its design under normal use.

How do you know that the pendant you want to purchase truly is Sterling Silver? Look for the stamp. All jewelry that claims to be Sterling silver is required to be stamped or have some sort of recognized hallmark. Often it is simply marked with “.925″ or “9.25,” which refers to the minimum amount of pure silver in its composition needed to be called Sterling silver. If the Sterling silver pendant that you are considering, is from another country it may be stamped with a symbol or a company mark and any jeweler can identify it for you if needed.

When shopping for a Sterling silver pendant, you will notice that the prices can fluctuate from day to day or from even store-to-store, as silver is considered a precious metal and tends to fluctuate with the market. Keeping an eye on the average rate of silver in the market can give you a general idea of price to expect.

If the price is too low, it usually indicates that either the piece is not genuine or it may be silver-plated. Usually, if you turn it over and the Sterling silver pendant has a .925 you can be assured that it is genuine.

Keeping your Sterling silver pendant beautiful for many years to come requires very little effort. There are a few precautions that you should take in caring for your Sterling silver jewelry. For example, you want to keep it away from certain chemicals such as bleach, ammonia and acetone, which can damage it beyond repair.

Using commercial jewelry cleaners should be fine if nothing mentioned above is listed in the ingredients. Natural oxidation or tarnish often occurs on all silver, which can make your Sterling silver pendant look dull. Using a jewelers cloth, sometimes also called a silver cloth, will often remove the tarnish with a gentle rubbing motion. Storing your Sterling silver pendant in a tarnish proof cloth when not wearing it will help protect it from scratching against other pieces and reduces oxidation.

Sterling silver pendants are timeless additions to your jewelry collection and are meant to last a lifetime and they will with proper care and storage.