Sterling silver jewelry has been a favored accessory for a long time now. Unlike jewelry made from platinum and gold, sterling silver jewelry costs less yet still offers the gleam that you look for in jewelry. If you take time to maintain your sterling silver jewelry, you can wear your rings, bracelets and necklaces made from sterling silver for years.

Silver, the main metal used in sterling silver jewelry, is a lustrous white metal which is usually rendered transparent by lamination processes. Like gold, silver is not usually used in its pure state because it is a very soft, malleable metal. A hardener, such as copper, is usually alloyed with silver. What is known as sterling silver is a high grade alloy with a silver content of not less than 925 parts in 1,000 parts of mixture or a minimum 92.5% silver content. It is not only made into sterling silver jewelry, but it is also used for fine sterling silver tableware, and sensitive electrical contacts.

Sterling silver jewelry has a warm lustrous finish, and it often looks like white gold but costs much less. For this reason, many choose to wear sterling silver jewelry with their casual outfits. Jewelry designers have also come up with innovative designs mixing sterling silver with other precious metals such as diamonds, platinum and gold. These innovations in design have played well in the market, and if you make your choices carefully, these novel sterling silver jewelry creations can enhance virtually any style of outfit you wear.

Cleaning your sterling silver jewelry regularly will prevent it from losing its sparkle. You can merely rub the dirt off your sterling silver jewelry with a jewelry cloth. You would not want to scratch the surface of your sterling silver jewelry. Hence, you should avoid using hard objects in cleaning your sterling silver jewelry. Note that even your fingernails and a paper towel can leave scratches on your sterling silver jewelry.

Proper care and maintenance should be observed to prevent tarnishing your sterling silver jewelry. It is much easier to prevent tarnish than to remove it. To avoid tarnishing your sterling silver jewelry collection, refrain from wearing sterling silver jewelry while you apply spray on your hair and you go swimming. Remember that a chemical reaction involving silver, sulfur, and oxygen causes the tarnish on sterling silver jewelry.

If your sterling silver jewelry has already been tarnished, try immersing the sterling silver jewelry in a boiling solution of sodium bicarbonate and ordinary salt (sodium chloride) in a glass dish lined with a sheet of aluminum foil. This simple trick can help you recover the gleam in your sterling silver jewelry. Do not, however, apply this method of cleaning to your sterling silver wristwatches because the mechanism inside your timepiece would be damaged.

Some jewelry designers have introduced rhodium-plated sterling silver jewelry. The metal rhodium looks like sterling silver, but does not tarnish. Rhodium-plated sterling silver jewelry also contains a nickel which acts as an adhesive between the silver and the rhodium. If you have allergies to nickel, you will have to wear only pure sterling silver jewelry.

When you are not wearing your sterling silver jewelry, you must place them in a proper storage. Make sure that your storage keeps the sterling silver jewelry cool and in the dark. Heat and light cause sterling silver jewelry to yellow and tarnish quickly. Sterling silver jewelry also fades over time with exposure to indoor lights. A tight enclosure such as an air-tight, cloth-lined plastic container is an ideal storage for your sterling silver jewelry especially when you will not be using them for a long time.