Purchasing silver jewelry for that special someone!

At Arts Boheme, we think it is important to know what you are purchasing when you buy anything and jewelry in particular. So, in this season of giving, we thought we would share information about the silver metal components of jewelry.

Silver has multiple levels of purity. Sterling silver is .925 or 92.5% silver. Fine silver on the other hand is .999, or 99.9% silver. Artisans choose which to use based on how hard or soft they need the silver to be for the piece they are creating. Bali silver is at least .925 however be aware that you want Bali Silver not Bali Style Silver which is made in other regions of the world usually of lower percentage. German silver is also used in jewelry design and the silver content can be as low as .8 or 80%.

There are also silver plated beads and findings. .925 or .999 silver is plated on to metals such as copper, brass, or nickel. If the silver is thickly plated on to the base metal, the product is then called silver filled. The silver content must be hundreds of times thicker than regular silver-plating to be called silver fill.

At Arts Boheme, we believe the materials selected for a piece of jewelry should be determined by the design of the piece. We use sterling silver, .925, fine silver .999 in our designs or pewter, not discussed in this blog, in the creation of our silver toned jewelry.

Enjoy the holiday season and purchase with knowledge!

Cheryl