Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft, very malleable, and easily damaged so it is commonly combined with other metals to produce a more durable product. The most popular of these alloys is sterling silver, which consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper.

Although any metal can make up the 7.5 percent non-silver portion of sterling, centuries of experimentation have shown copper to be its best companion, improving the metal's hardness and durability without affecting its beautiful colour.

The small amount of copper added to sterling has very little effect on the metal's value. Instead, the price of the silver item is affected by the labour involved in making the item, the skill of the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design.

SILVER ALLOYS
Because pure silver is so soft, it should only be used when malleability is required, such as in handcrafted jewellery featuring weaving and other intricate designs.

Sterling silver is most often used for jewellery and household accessories because of its combination of beauty and durability. Acceptable quality marks for sterling silver include:

• sterling
• sterling silver
• ster
• .925

CARE
With proper care, your fine quality silver will last a lifetime. To minimize scratches and other damage, store your silver jewellery either in a cloth pouch or in a separate compartment in your jewellery box. Avoid exposing your silver to household chemicals when cleaning with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these chemicals can damage silver.

Care should also be taken to prevent silver tarnish build-up, a dulling that naturally occurs when silver reacts with sulphur or hydrogen sulphide in the ambient air. To clean your silver, use polishes formulated specifically to remove tarnish. You can buy fine silver polishes, solutions, or cloths appropriate to remove tarnish at Pave’ Creations or bring your jewellery in to get cleaned by one of our staff members. Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes visible.