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What is Silver?
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and is sometimes referred to as pure silver. Sterling silver will tarnish over time but with care and regular cleaning can be restored to its good as new sparkling condition. The remaining 7.5% is usually copper but can be other metal and is used to give this precious metal strength and durability.Generally, the higher the silver content the brighter or whiter the metal but beware of antiquing effects that can make a piece of sterling silver jewellery or decorative silverware look dark. Silver which is 99.9% silver is too soft to be practical for most day to day uses. Do not use tissue or anything other than a jewellery cleaning cloth to polish your jewellery as unseen tiny hard fibers will scratch the surface.
How Durable is My Gemstone Jewellery?
First of all a note about the hardness and therefore relative durability of gemstones. To measure hardness, the jewellery industry uses the Mohs scale. This gem-trade standard, conceived by Friedrich Mohs in 1812, measures the ability of a gem or mineral to resist abrasion damage.Diamond at 10 is the hardest whereas talc at 1 is the softest. Popular gemstones like amethyst and citrine register 7 whereas rubies and sapphires register 9. Most of us come off the beach on the first day with the 3 s’s all achieved - rings caked in sand, sea-salt and suntan lotion. Nude sunbathing, as far as silver and gold jewellery is concerned, is a must! Remember also that sand will scratch the surface of precious metals.
Diamonds are costly
To combat the competition, many jewellers can be found offering the rings and diamonds at lower prices than others, with some schemes and gifts also offered. The tension settings will make the entire band as two large prongs for even more highlighting of the diamond. Since you may be budget conscious, it is advisable that you compare the price offers of different jewellers.Still, they can shop for a smaller and low priced diamond and make it appear larger as a solitaire diamond on the top of the engagement ring. Diamonds are costly and most of the couples certainly cannot afford to purchase larger ones. Browse the websites of the jewelers and find all the details about diamond solitaire engagement rings. Certainly, a suitable ring can be found in the market place once you have ensured all aspects of buying the diamond. The secret is in the settings. Prong setting also can be a choice for bringing up the stone on the ring.
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