Silver has a very long and wonderful history as a precious metal. Long before white gold or platinum jewelry was made, silver was used in some of the most beautiful ancient jewelry work. Ancient man smelted silver in 3000 BC! Considering silver melts at 1763 F., so that was quite an accomplishment long ago.
Did you ever wonder what the term sterling silver means? Silver itself is an element, which can be found in the periodic table. Great Britain was a key power in the creation and use of Sterling Silver. The British set the 92.5% standard for sterling. This practice dates to ancient Britain, about 1100 AD By 1300, the term Sterling was established. Trial and error proved copper (another element) to be the best metal to add to silver to provide strength and durability.
Today Sterling Silver usually means a silver alloy with 92.5% Silver and the remaining 7.5% copper. In very recent years, we have seen other metals substituted for the copper in an effort to reduce tarnishing. Owners of sterling items know that over time silver has a tendency to darken. Sterling silver tea or dinner sets will require many hours of polishing to keep it bright and shinny. Certain chemically treated cloths are safe enough to use and will remove tarnish from silver and this saves a lot of labor. There is also the old trick of placing the item in very hot water on an aluminum plate (or the shinny side of aluminum foil) with a cup of baking soda. The item MUST make contact with the aluminum or it will not work.
Sterling Silver an excellent metal for jewelry manufacture. It is the brightest of all metals and it is very easy to work with. It’s really low cost (As of this writing, the silver market is $17.11 per ounce, platinum is $1337.00 per once) allows a jeweler to make sophisticated items that sell for a price point aimed at those of moderate income, a far larger market than say, platinum jewelry.
Sterling by nature will cast or fabricate well with simple equipment. Wire making, wire wrapping, bending, stamping and finishing are all reasonably easy with sterling silver. Many findings like clasps and beads and crimp beads are readily available in sterling silver. “Bali Beads” are very intricate and beautiful sterling silver beads, made by hand by Balinese craftsmen and are available in all sizes and shapes. These beads are commonly used by jewelry designers when they are crafting necklaces their specialty lines. Here are a few of our pieces with Bali beads.
