About Silver

When used in jewelry, silver is usually in the form of sterling silver. Sterling silver jewelry, by definition, is composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper alloy.

Silver is a precious metal that has been used for thousands of years for various purposes such as ornaments, tableware, jewelry, photography and money. Its value as a precious metal was long considered second only to gold and in Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe, it was often valued more than gold. The principal sources of silver are obtained from Canada, Mexico, Peru, Australia and the United States. However, Mexico is the largest producer of silver.

Silver has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals, even higher than copper, but its greater cost has prevented it from being widely used in place of copper for electrical purposes. It also has the highest thermal conductivity, highest optical reflectivity and the lowest contact resistance of any metal.

Silver is stable in pure air and water, but does tarnish when it is exposed to ozone, hydrogen sulfide, or air that has sulfur compounds present in the atmosphere. Tarnish and dirt on fine sterling silver jewelry can be removed gently using a jewelry polishing cloth. These jewelry polishing cloths are chemically treated with nontoxic cleaning and polishing agents which are specially formulated to restore the fine silver luster. Remember, never take your silver into the pool, chlorinated water will pit your silver, sometimes, beyond repair.