Sterling Silver OR Oxidised Silver: Which One Is Best?
Do you perceive Sterling silver and regular silver to be the same thing? In essence, the two are very different. Correspondingly, their pricing is different and so are their lifespans and the methods to care for them.
In this article, we dwell on the key differences between sterling silver and oxidized silver and which one should one consider for buying jewelry.
Why Jewellery is not Made Using 100% Silver?
When one hears the term Oxidized Silver Jewelry, one gets the impression that silver has been oxidized on purpose to create oxidized silver jewelry.
However, it is important to understand that 100% silver is an extremely reactive metal. It will react with the oxygen in the atmosphere to form silver oxide, which appears as a black layer over silver. This delivers the proof of purity of the precious metal.
With its reactivity, 100% silver is not the ideal alternative to create jewelry or cutlery. Exposure to atmospheric air will easily tarnish it.
Sterling Silver Jewellery
When we turn our attention to sterling silver, we see that it is an alloy made from 92.5% silver. The rest, around 7.5% is copper, or zinc in some cases. This renders toughness and durability to the alloy, something that is missing in pure silver.
Sterling silver won’t get easily oxidized, making it the ideal alternative for use as cutlery or jewelry.
Buy the Best Sterling Jewellery for Your Loved Once
Oxidized Silver Jewellery
It is then important to realize that when we come across oxidized or blackened silver, it is the real sterling silver. In this case, chemical intervention has deliberately been introduced to intentionally darken the silver.
This blackish layer on silver is known as Platina and comes into the picture upon the introduction of sulfides to silver. So, this chemical process is nothing but a paced up version of the natural process of tarnishing.
Best Oxidized Silver Jewellery
Fine Silver Jewellery
If you come across any item that is called fine silver or pure silver, this is the purest form of silver that you can get. The trace amounts, here, will be exceptionally low and in the line of 0.01%. The rest will be silver.
If fine silver is to be called so, it needs to be at least 99.9% silver. This will be defined by a stamp that says "999", ".999", or "99.9".
Another interesting point to be noted regarding fine silver ornaments is that they are more likely to get tarnished, as compared to sterling silver.
Does Sterling Silver Also Degrade Over Time?
Now, when we consider the case of sterling silver, it too will degrade over time. But the underlying reason for the same is the alloys present in sterling silver that have a strength of 7.5%.
Silver, after being combined with metals such as zinc and copper is no longer reactive and won’t degrade. However, copper and zinc can degrade by themselves. That’s the key reason why tarnishing appears over sterling silver after many years of use.
However, this tarnishing is also known to add to the charm and glory of sterling silver jewelry. That's the key reason why oxidized silver, which has a layer of platina over it is frequently used for creating jewelry items that frequently clock high sales!
Just as in the case of fine silver jewelry, you'd also come across a stamp on sterling silver jewelry. This is a mark of the purity of the jewelry that you purchase.
Since sterling silver jewelry is 92.5% silver, the stamp on it will say “925”, “92.5”, or “.925”. This goes to show how pure the silver within is.
Alternately, there will be times wherein you see “ss” as a stamp on sterling silver which stands to specify its authenticity.
Final words
One may want to go for the jewelry that she likes because all alternatives are as good as the other. Fine silver jewelry is not as durable as sterling silver jewelry and may not work as well for daily use.
Similarly, sterling silver jewelry could get tarnished over time, but this tarnish is not permanent and is easy to remove. One could also polish the jewelry at home and take precautions like not wearing the jewelry to a chlorinated pool.
Now, there is no end to the number of fans across the world of oxidized silver jewelry. If the rustic, everlasting feel of oxidized silver jewelry works for you, you can go for it.
