People are always fond of wearing accessories. Even during the earliest civilisation, individuals from all walks of life wear it. Depending on its style, design, and material, when people wear them, it symbolises social status. Today, a lot of people still wear accessories. However, they are worn not only during special occasions but every day. One of the most popular accessories that individuals buy is Sterling Silver rings.
Origin of Sterling Silver Rings
During earlier civilisations, it was not common to use pure silver as jewellery pieces because they are too soft. An experiment to mix silver with alloy resulted in making the material more durable started in the 12th century. This experiment gives more strength and more durability to the mineral than pure silver. It is what is now known as sterling silver. In addition to using this mineral as coins, they started using it for jewellery. Sterling silver rings were created and used by individuals in political power or of higher status as a signet ring.
Does Sterling Silver Rings Tarnish
Silver is not reactive to any form of chemicals. However, once the mineral gets exposed to low-level ozone or compounds of sulphur, tarnish will start to appear. Luckily, solid sterling silver rings are easy to repair to its original form. They are polished to make them look good as new.
Taking Good Care of Sterling Silver Rings
Sterling Silver rings can get tarnished easily. So it is recommended that your jewellery be polished now and then to maintain its appearance. Store them in places with a low-humidity environment. If possible, remove your jewellery when going to the beach. The rings will be highly reactive to saltwater, making it easy to taint.
Avoid using the rings when you are cleaning the house. Bleach, ammonia, and other household cleaning chemicals can cause your jewellery to tarnish. It is also advisable not to use the accessory when swimming at the pool. It is highly chlorinated and can cause stains in your jewellery.
How to Clean Sterling Silver Rings
Luckily, cleaning sterling silver rings is easy. Some stores provide sterling silver jewellery cleaner solutions upon purchase. If you show signs of tarnishing, you can soak your rings on the solution for around ten seconds. You wash the solution off with warm water and wipe the jewellery with a soft cloth. If there are still signs of tarnishing, you can soak it in the solution longer.
Aside from the solution, there are home remedies that you can use to clean your sterling silver rings. These remedies are readily available and inexpensive. The commonly used silver cleaner remedies at home are soap and water. If it does not work, baking soda and water can do the trick. They are a good substitute for cleaning your jewellery without purchasing solutions.
Distinguishing Real Sterling Silver Rings
If the Sterling Silver rings that you purchase are commercial, you can check the markings engraved in the jewellery. Usually, pure sterling silver has 925 marks on each piece of jewellery. Other silver jewellery stores would put the word sterling or sterling silver. But the common is the 925 or .925 markings.
Another way to test whether the silver rings are real or not is to hold a magnet over the item. When the jewellery sticks to the magnet, it is not pure sterling silver. If it is real, the jewellery should not be magnetic.
The silver sterling rings are highly popular. It comes in various designs and is very affordable. If you are the kind of person that loves accessories, you can never go wrong with sterling silver.