What is Sterling Silver?

All of the silver jewelry at Horn’s Jewelry and Rock Climbing Jewelry is cast in solid sterling silver. But what does that mean exactly? Does that mean pure silver?

Sterling silver is actually a combination of silver and another metal, usually copper. Just like gold, pure silver is soft and must be mixed with another metal to be suitable for items that will be used or worn, like jewelry.

Is It Sterling? How Can You Tell?

In order to be termed sterling silver, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that the minimum silver content must be 92.5 percent. This is often noted as 925 or 92.5 stamped on each piece. Other terms that are used interchangeably with sterling silver are 925 silver or sterling.

Why Does Sterling Silver Tarnish?

Exposure to air will eventually cause sterling silver to tarnish. This is common and not a cause for concern. In addition, individual body chemistry may also cause sterling silver to tarnish more quickly.

How Should I Care for Sterling Silver?

To protect from exposure to air when not in use, store sterling silver jewelry in zip-top plastic bags. To make this easy, we provide a zip-top bag with each and every piece ordered from Horn’s Jewelry or Rock Climbing Jewelry. Do not expose sterling silver to chlorinated water such as in pools or hot tubs, or cleaning agents such as bleach or ammonia.

Should a piece become tarnished, polishing it with Sunshine Cloth will quickly remove the oxidation. In fact, if you order a piece of jewelry during the month of March, just put “sunshine” in the special instructions field during check out and we will send you a complimentary piece of sunshine cloth that can be use d to keep all of your jewelry bright and shiny!

Please Note: The piece featured in this post is Marcy's beautiful Meadow Dancer. Beings I can't figure out how to make blogger let me post the pictures as clickable links to the Meadow Dancer page, I had to add this note to the end!