Sterling Silver
Stylish and contemporary, silver has been a popular choice for jewellery through the ages.It is harder than pure gold but has the malleability and strength to be easily moulded into hundreds of shapes from cups and plates to fine jewellery.
The colour of the silver together with its’ beautiful shine makes it a perfect metal to wear as a lovely piece of jewellery in its’ own right but it also enhances and compliments many precious stones.
In order to make this relatively soft metal a little more durable for everyday wear, a small amount of other metals are mixed to make an alloy which is known as Sterling Silver.This compound is made up of 92.5% pure silver with a mixture of other metals including copper. These additional metals bring extra strength, durability and an extra lustre to the silver. This is an established silver standard which has been around for hundreds of years.
How do I identify Sterling Silver?
Genuine sterling silver should have a hallmark or numbers that identify it as such. The most commonly used ‘mark’ in Australia is ‘925’and this is also recognised worldwide.
How do I care for my Sterling Silver Jewellery?
Sterling Silver is relatively soft with a high lustrous sheen, and if worn regularly, the surface of a silver item can scratch and wear giving the surface a more “mellow” silver look.This look is extremely popular but the piece can easily be polished back to its’ original high shine by a jeweller or regular cleaning with a ‘silver cleaning cloth’. Washing of your silver jewellery in warm water with a little gentle detergent will keep it shiny at all times and deters any tarnishing.
Helpful Hints in Caring for your Jewellery:-
- Remove jewellery before sleeping to avoid unintentional damage.
- Items should be stored separately to prevent scratching.
- Non flexible items are best kept flat when not being worn.
- Direct contact with perfumes and hairspray may cause jewellery to discolour.
- Special care is needed for hollow items, as they may dent under impact or pressure.
- It is not recommended that silver jewellery is worn while swimming or showering. Chlorine can discolour your silver, and salt, if not washed off can cause a residue to build up which can then discolour the silver. Any inadvertent exposure to these products is not a disaster; just remember to thoroughly wash your jewellery after your swim.
- It is recommended that you have your purchase professionally cleaned every year. The settings should also be examined at this time to prevent loss of precious stones.
- Quality cleaning products are available from our stores. Our sales team will be happy to advise you.
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Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is made from an alloy of mostly steel and at least 12% chromium.The chromium helps prevent any corrosion.
Stainless Steel is very strong and damage resistant enabling it to easily withstand the wear and tear of everyday activities. It is extremely difficult to scratch or dent, making it the perfect choice for our gentlemen customers.
Stainless Steel is safe to wear on sensitive skins and makes it very suitable for body jewellery.
Ladies stainless steel jewellery can be plated in a rose or yellow gold colour.This is an ‘IP’ plating as used on popular watch bracelets.This plating is very hard-wearing but all care should be taken to avoid perfumes, scented creams or harsh products like chlorine as these could affect the colour of the plating.
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Titanium
Titanium jewellery is produced from primarily Titanium (no alloys), offering many unique properties including being hypoallergenic, lightweight and corrosion-resistant The metal is highly durable making it perfect for everyday use and is most commonly used in the construction of men's watches and jewellery including wedding rings. This metal has a polished finish and comes in colours of black, grey and silver.
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Zirconium
Zirconium is a lustrous, grey-silver, strong transition metal that resembles titanium. It is malleable and ductile and easily forms stable compounds. It is also strong and highly resistant to corrosion.