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Silver
Silver is a soft material, nonetheless it is one of the noble metals that is used in a relatively pure form. The notation used, 925 that is, says it all really. For every 1000 particles in an alloy, 925 are pure silver while the other 75 are copper.
In its purest form, silver (or ‘fine’ silver) is much too soft to process into jewelry. By adding a tiny amount of copper the material is strengthened. The resulting alloy is ideal for use in jewelry.
Silver: pros and cons
The major advantage of silver over other noble metals is its price, cheaper than gold or platinum.
Furthermore silver has a beautiful white sheen and is relatively soft allowing the jeweler more freedom in creating a beautiful end product. This is the main reason jewelry was already being made from silver in the past.
A downside of silver is that it may oxidize or rust when exposed to sunlight and oxygen, or even due to the PH levels of your skin. As a result, silver jewelry may turn black. So we sometimes get asked whether it is actually made of real silver. This is how we can be sure: the very blackening of the jewelry shows that it is made of real silver.
Generally speaking 90% of the population is unaffected, it is possible however that your loved one has an allergic reaction due to skin contact with silver. We understand that you do not want to risk your most special of gifts causing an allergic reaction on your most special of persons. This is why we recommend picking 9 karat white gold instead.
There are relatively few people who have allergic reactions to white gold. Thus, picking white gold rather than silver ensures your partner will enjoy your gift of a beautiful piece of bespoke jewelry.
How do I know if my jewelry is really silver?
Silver jewelry that weighs less than 8 grams is not proof marked in the Netherlands. Silver jewelry weighing more than 8 grams will receive one of the following hallmarks:
If you have a silver piece of jewelry whose authenticity you doubt, the hallmark is a good indication. For sterling silver, the grade 925 must be stamped into the jewelry.
Advice for keeping your silver jewelry beautiful for a long time
When silver jewelry is worn, it comes into contact with the skin. The acidity of the skin causes a chemical reaction, which eventually causes the silver to become dull or even turn black.
Silver jewelry that is not worn can turn black by hydrogen sulphide (sulphur) in the air or in other materials. The reaction causes the black coating on silver jewelry.
The skin produces natural oils, which can react with silver. All skin is different, so not everyone will suffer from this problem, or to the same extent. Medication use, certain foods, alcohol consumption or sweat are more likely to cause a reaction between the skin and the silver.
There is no obvious solution to prevent silver blackening. What you can do is polish the silver with a silver polishing cloth. Sometimes even a polishing cloth does not provide the desired result. If this is the case, please feel free to get in touch with us. We will gladly clean your DiamondsByMe jewelry and make it sparkle again!
Want to know more about maintaining your jewelry? Then take a look at our knowledge base at general care.
Silver jewelry from DiamondsByMe
All of DiamondsByMe's silver jewelry is made of sterling silver. A large proportion of the jewellery models we display online can be made in silver. Our smiths do this with the utmost care, and so will deliver a beautiful piece of jewelry.
However, we do have a recommendation for silver rings in which a large diamond or lab-grown diamond is set, and especially silver engagement rings because they will, in all likelihood, be worn often. As the hardness of silver is lower than gold alloys, silver jewelry can suffer damage more quickly such as scratches that make the metal appear dull, or a warp when the ring bumps into something. If a setting is damaged in the process, the stone may become displaced, resulting in loss of the stone. When ordering a silver ring with a large (lab-grown) diamond – especially if you are ordering it as an engagement ring – you can expect us to advise you to choose at least 9 carats of white. The chance of damage and loss of the stone is then not excluded, but because the alloy is harder the chance of this happening is reduced.
Read more about care for and maintenance of silver jewelry here.
For an overview of all our jewelry in silver click here: