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About 925 Silver Jewellery

All jewellery is made from a mixture of metals.  Some are precious and some are not.  Silver in particular is a mix of many metals that strengthen the precious metal and make it suitable for purpose.

Pure Silver is not commonly used for jewellery etc as it's way too soft.  It's very plaible and prone to scratches, warping and bending.

.925 Silver is the most commonly used mixture for jewellery making.  There are 1000 parts to the mix, 925 of them are pure silver, the other 75 are more common metals such as copper.  The copper gives the silver strength.

Unfortunately it's the copper that can sometimes cause the ugly green colouration on the skin where the jewelley has touched.

This green mark is casued by oxidisation, which is a chemical reaction between the sweat and oils on your skin, the metal in the jewellery and the air.  A bit like an apple turning brown when you take a bit out of it, it's not harmful, it's just a bit unsightly.

This oxidisation doesn't affect everyone and is not harmful.  However if you develop any blisters or sores medical attention should be obtained.

There is a simple remedy at hand if the colouration is intense.  You can lightly coat the surface where the jewellery touches the skin with a little clear nail varnish.  This may need to be re-applied on occasion.

Unlike gold, silver and 925 silver does not require a hallmark for pieces under a 7.78 grams.  All the 925 Silver jewellery we sell are way under 7.78g therefore does not require to be hallmarked.  Some pieces have been but most have not.

To take care of your silver jewellery it just requires light rubbing on occasion with a soft cloth.  For any dirt, use a damp cloth first, then a soft, dry one.

Unless you keep your 925 silver jewellery in an airtight bag it may discolour when you aren't wearing it.  You can buff it up with a special "silver cloth" to bring back the shine, although regular wearing of the jewellery will keep it nice and shiny as your body heat and it's continued brushing against skin and clothing etc will stop any build-up of oxidisation.

 

We hope this little page has been helpful.

www.thats-charming.co.uk