Posts Tagged ‘Sterling Jewelry’

Costume jewelry basically means that it is not extremely expensive stuff. It’s also known as fashion jewelry or junk jewelry. However i don’t like either of those names! It basically means jewelry that is made out of less valuable metals and stones than fine jewelry. For instance costume jewelry is normally made from base metal, glass, man made stones, and plastic.

Modern day costume jewelry can be made out of a variety of substances, the metals used may be brass plated with gold or silver. Sometimes you can even buy sterling silver costume jewelry. Costume jewelry is loved all around the world, it’s not as expensive as fine jewelry however it is beautiful and can be pretty valuable. Just be careful where you purchase your costume jewelry from, if you buy it from a market then you could really be buying junk.

Finding nice costume jewelry can be difficult, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You certainly don’t have to wear it with costumes! You can wear such pieces with your everyday outfits, you just have to know where to buy nice pieces.

What’s best?

You should think about what your options are before you rush out and get costume jewelry. There are a number of great stores all around the world that stock amazing designer costume jewelry. Try searching on the Internet for some rough ideas as to which styles you like. If you’re not careful then you could find yourself getting lost in the sea of costume jewelry that is out there!

Estate Jewelry International

Estate Jewelry International is a company that sells a wide range of different designer costumer jewelry, all at very reasonable prices. They offer jewelry under different categories such as bridal jewelry, vintage costume jewelry, fashion jewelry, and estate wedding jewelry.

Another great company is Freesia, if you are trying to find affordable costume jewelry then you should defiantly remember the name of this company! Freesia jewelry is of a very high quality and is suitable for a number of different people. The jewelry that this company stocks is currently changing to keep in lines with current trends.

Costume jewelry isn’t as expensive as fine jewelry, however that certainly doesn’t mean that it is cheap. You want to make sure you are buying high quality jewelry, you don’t want something that will break within seconds of wearing it! Learn about the store you’re buying it from and assess the quality for yourself.

The columnist Guy Morris is especially interested in things dealing with ring. Recording his experience in publications on ring and antique engagement rings he affirmed his expertise on the topic.

Author: Guy J Morris
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It takes many years of experience in trading sterling silver jewelry to tell whether a piece of jewelry is of high quality or not. Especially when you are buying wholesale silver jewelry, a minor difference in the quality might affect your business reputation in the long run. This article summarizes the basic metrics for anyone who is beginning to trade silver jewelry to gauge the quality of silver jewelry.

Finishing

Most of the sterling silver jewelry has some sort of plating because silver itself turns yellow over time. There are several ways of finishing a piece of silver jewelry and they will affect the cost of the jewelry substantially.

1. High polished sterling silver jewelry has no plating on the jewelry at all and is particularly popular with engravable items or for people who are allergic to certain metals such as nickel. The jewelry is polished by machine without additional raw material cost.

2. Some silver jewelry has a black antique look to cater to certain consumers. These items are processed by putting the jewelry into chemical solution to oxide the silver before polishing and the pricing is similar to that of high polished ones.

3. Another common way of finishing sterling silver jewelry is nickel plating. Although nickel plating is illegal in some countries, most of the Italian silver jewelry sold in the market today is plated with nickel. However, since nickel is not considered as precious metal, the price is usually not affected by the cost of plating.

4. The most expensive way of finishing sterling silver jewelry is using Rhodium. Rhodium is a precious metal that is even more expensive than silver. Therefore, silver jewelry with Rhodium plating is usually at least five cent more expensive per gram. Since Rhodium has the property of being highly tarnish resistant and very expensive at the same time, some manufacturers would coat the sterling silver jewelry with a thin layer of copper before plating the Rhodium to reduce the cost. It might be a good idea to ask the vendors if the Rhodium is plated directly or not because some people have skin type that would turn the copper underneath green.

Stone cutting

Sterling silver jewelry usually has natural or synthetic stones set on it. The cutting of the stones, even with the same size, might affect the cost. For instance, the synthetic diamond cubic zirconia stones would cost more if they are in princess cut as suppose to round brilliant cut. Furthermore, emerald cut and baguette cut stones are even more expensive than princess cut ones.

Stone setting

1. The way that stones are set on a piece of jewelry also affects the cost. Many pendant and bracelet styles employ an economical setting method called wax setting. The stones are not really set one by one on the jewelry. Rather, they are fixed on the mold before the jewelry is cast out from the melted silver and come out of the mold together with the silver. This lowers the cost of the silver jewelry significantly. However, the quality of the setting is not consistent and the heat of the silver in liquid form might affect the quality of the stones.

2. Besides wax setting, there are several hand-setting methods that are widely adopted. The most common one is prong setting, where the stones are held in place by three to eight prongs, depending on the style. More advanced settings include channel setting, bezel setting, pave setting and invisible setting. Understanding the labor costs involved in different kinds of settings is one of the keys to getting merchandize with the best prices.

Stamping and Casting

Another categorization for sterling silver jewelry is the way they manufacture the metal part. To save cost, some jewelry is made by stamping and cutting the needed shapes out from a large sheet of silver and than bend it into the desired shapes. On the other hand, a more traditional way of producing sterling silver jewelry is to cast the metal out of a mold, which is more labor intensive and hence more costly due to the polishing and filing required afterwards. The way the jewelry is made affects the durability a great deal and hence the success of your business.

Greg Peterson got his MBA from MIT business school and is now working as marketing manager for jewelry businesses featuring wholesale silver hip hop jewelry.

Author: Greg Peterson
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When someone says they love silver jewelry, they could be referring to anything from pure sterling silver to very cheap silver-plated costume jewelry. Silver can refer to the type of jewelry or merely the outside color of jewelry. But when one mentions “sterling silver” jewelry, they’re usually talking about a high grade of silver used to make beautiful, durable jewelry.

Sterling Silver Facts

Silver is a precious metal that has been used to create jewelry on a wide scale since the late 1700s. Though it was used in jewelry before that time, mining in continents of the western hemisphere revealed an abundance of silver, thus increasing the amount of silver used in jewelry production from the 1700s through the present. Silver in its pure form is very soft and will not produce durable silver jewelry; therefore, silver is mixed with a variety of other metals so the jewelry can withstand everyday wear without being harmed. One such combination of silver with other metals is called sterling silver.

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a piece of jewelry cannot be referred to as silver, solid silver, or sterling unless it has a pure silver makeup of at least 92.5 percent, or 925 parts per thousand of pure silver. The most common mixture for  jewelry is copper and silver. The silver becomes harder and more durable when copper is added; however, copper also causes silver jewelry to have a tendency to tarnish. When jewelry tarnishes, it has a darkened color.

Types of Jewelry

You can find almost any type or style of sterling silver jewelry you want – especially online. You can buy chains “by the inch,” meaning you can have chains handmade to suit your needs and the desired size. Having your silver chain custom-made makes it easy to create the length needed for your neck size, or wrist or ankle size for bracelets and anklets. No more worry about buying a necklace that’s too tight or too big.

Silver jewelry can be customized with various clasps such as lobster claw clamps or toggles. You can buy numerous silver pendants to wear on your silver chain, and change pendants with every outfit! For an elegant look and feel, try handcrafted Bali jewelry or other unique styles that will really make your jewelry stand out. Besides handmade chains, stores usually offer silver rings, bracelets, anklets, and earrings.

Caring for Jewelry

Sterling silver tends to tarnish and may develop a beautiful patina (unique glow with darkened areas). Some silver fans like this look for their jewelry. If you like the patina look, then wear it as is. If not, polish your jewelry with a soft polishing cloth to restore your silver to its natural shiny state. Sterling silver should be cleaned gently with polish cloth. Avoid using abrasive cleaners – even toothpaste can leave scratches on your jewelry! When storing your  jewelry, place it in tarnish prevention bags or cloths, which help slow the tarnishing process. Also, keep your jewelry in a cool room with low humidity. If storing in a box or case with other jewelry, prevent your silver jewelry from tangling with other harder jewelry, which might cause scratches on the jewelry.

Sterling silver jewelry provides a lovely accessory for wear to work, parties, and romantic outings. It is also affordable so you can buy it for yourself or as a gift for a friend without spending a fortune. Check out sterling silver jewelry products online and add these fine items to your jewelry collection today! 

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.

Learn more about Silver Jewelry.

Author: Chris Robertson
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