Why You Should Choose Silver For Your Jewellery
Silver Jewellery has many appeals, from its versatility to its elegance, it has the ability to elevate any outfit.
Silver is sometimes seen as the poor cousin of the precious metal world, inferior to the buttery gleam of gold and not as interesting. But dismissing silver is a mistake: silver is a beautiful metal when handled properly, and it has a fascinating history. Silver jewellery comes in all forms and is a semi-precious metal but is a mere fraction of the cost of its cousin metal, gold. Wholesale sterling silver chains are both incredibly beautiful, versatile and budget-friendly.
What’s so special about silver?
There are seven metals that have earned the collective name of “metals of antiquity”, because they have been mined for almost longer than we have been recording history. These metals are: gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, iron and mercury, and of these, the first three, gold, copper and silver, were used for decorative purposes because of their loveliness when worked by craftsmen. In the world of jewelry, small earrings made from these timeless metals of antiquity add a touch of elegance and history to your personal style.
As for silver, it is not just a pretty face, it is also a transition metal, occupying a special place in the periodic table for its atomic arrangement, along with other metals in the d-block of the periodic table. But silver has been mined for far longer than the periodic table has existed, and it was widely used for making beautiful artefacts such as bowls and vases, jewellery of all types and money, usually in the form of coins. But it is silver’s use as jewellery that we are looking at in this piece.
For Jewellery With a Delicate Colour
Silver is a very subtle coloured metal, unlike the brash glitter of gold, and this makes it perfect for adding a touch of elegant sophistication to almost any outfit without taking it over the top. In literature and myth, silver is often compared to the moon and moonlight, adding an extra mystique to the pretty shiny metal. The belief that silver bullets can kill monsters possibly arises from ideas about the purity and incorruptibility of silver, and this, again, only adds to the attraction.
But myth and science aside, silver jewellery should be embraced because the very subtlety of the delicate colour: not white, not grey, but a gleaming hue unique to the name — enhances colours, intensifies blacks, and discreetly draws the eye to those parts of your outfit that you want to emphasise.
Most popular types of silver jewellery
Almost any jewellery item can be made from silver. It is quite soft, often made harder by alloying it with other metals, and carefully maintained to prevent tarnishing. When silver tarnishes it can become greenish or turn dark and dull, but these can be removed and the original shine restored with careful burnishing — although it is better to keep it in good condition rather than need to restore it periodically. Team the following pieces into a set or wear them individually depending on the rest of your outfit and the impression you are aiming to create:
Earrings can be problematic to jewellery users as the pierced holes can be prone to infection and irritation — not an ideal look. But silver has antibacterial properties (it is widely used in medical fields) and wearing silver earrings can be a great way to ensure that your ears attract attention for only the right reasons. Silver is highly ductile, which means it can be drawn out into a very fine wire without breaking, and this means that you can make very delicate and beautiful earrings with it.
Rings & Bracelets are popular not just in gold but in silver too. Silver is second only to gold when it comes to being shaped, which means that it is possible to create beautiful perfectly sized rings and ornate bracelets from the metal.
Necklaces are another great jewellery piece which benefits from silver. Silver lends itself well to fine chains, solo or with quirky pendants, and chunky bib necklaces, being strong enough to survive as a thin chain, and light enough — relatively speaking — for a larger necklace’s weight to be supported by the wearer. Whether it’s a subtle design or one embellished with gemstones, there are often many beautiful design features of sterling silver necklaces like those from Silver by Mail.
- READ MORE: The Art of Two-Tone Jewellery Stacking
Complete your look with silver jewellery
All of these pieces can be made from simple, stylish silver or they can be teamed with precious and semi-precious stones, the quietness of the silver allowing the gems to show themselves off to their best effect. Many people like to use their own birthstones or other gemstones in jewellery for positive energy or just for fashionable purposes.
The delicacy of aquamarines soft blue-green is often affected by proximity to gold, which throws a warm yellow tone over the stones, making them seem washed out and only weakly attractive. Silver, however, beautifully offsets aquamarines, allowing the nuances of the delicate cyan to shine out. Much the same can be said for amethyst which can range from delicate lilac to strong purple, and silver is especially effective when teamed with opals allowing their hidden rainbows to gleam out startlingly.
When you are planning your outfit, you should take your luxury accessories and jewellery choices into account from the beginning — in fact, choosing your jewellery first and then tailoring the outfit to suit and show off your jewellery is a great way to ensure that your jewellery pops, giving your outfit a subtle but significant style that is sure to draw all eyes and elicit many compliments.
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