Never enough about Sterling Silver

Why Sterling Silver?

#1 Lightweight and durable

#2 You can customize it without breaking the bank.

#3 Easy to plate to prevent tarnishing

#4 Hypoallergenic. Never uses nickel.

#5 Strong

#6 Versatile

#8 More variety

Need I say more? No. Short and sweet. All the above are reasons why one would love or choose sterling silver jewelry.

How do you tell if it IS real Sterling Silver?

1) Sterling Silver is non-magnetic

2) It should be stamped with 925

3) It is odorless, so sniff it.

4) If you polish it with a soft cloth the cloth should come back with black marks on it.

5) Ice will melt faster if it is in contact with real silver. (bet ya did not know that one?)

6) Nitric acid will not affect real sterling silver but will bubble green if it is fake.

Let's talk tarnish/oxidation.

We all are very well aware that silver tarnishes and this is the subject of earlier blogs and newsletters we have written and can be found on our website here.

https://designersterlingsilver.com/blogs/news

However, what if you actually wanted  the black oxidized look? I don't know why you would BUT...

Here are some ideas you could try. 

1) Hard-boiled eggs. This might sound odd, but boiling eggs can also oxidize your silver. Put two eggs in some water and get the water boiling. After about ten minutes, take the eggs out and put them in a baggie. Squish them up until they’re in fairly small pieces. This releases sulfur, which will oxidize your antique silver items when you put them in the bag. Just leave the item in the bag for several hours—the longer it stays in contact with the eggs, the more oxidized it will get. When you like the color, remove the silver piece, wash it, and dry it thoroughly.

2) Liver of sulfur*.  Liver of sulfur is a mix of a variety of different things, including potassium thiosulfate, potassium polysulfide, and potassium sulfide. You can purchase it as a gel and add a bit of it to hot water. Then simply drop your silver household items into it until it’s the color you want. Don’t leave the items in too long, though, or the oxidization can start to look spotty.

3) Use Luster Gel. Luster Gel is a fairly new product that’s actually designed to change how your silver pieces look. It can oxidize them, but it can also be used to change the silver to many other colors. Simply select the color you want (the gel comes in a variety of shades) and follow the directions.

4) Spa or Hotspring. This may not be an option for everyone, but silver buyers might accidentally oxidize everything they’re wearing by going to a hot spring or a spa! The high sulfur content of these natural areas will evenly oxidize anything silver in just a few minutes!

* Liver of Sulfur - def. a mixture of potassium sulfides used as a fungicide and insecticide and in the treatment of skin diseases