Sterling silver, unlike gold, needs no explanation.

When you are shopping for a gift for someone you can’t go wrong with sterling silver. Sterling silver earrings have no subtext – unlike their golden cousins. You don’t have to worry about how the gift is interpreted. So you saw these great looking earrings. And you got them for her.

“Because they were sterling silver they were more affordable than a gold pair might be.”

Everybody knows that a gold setting guarantees a multifold increase in the price of the earrings. Buying sterling silver gives you more options in terms of your budget.

“And the setting was just right for you so I bought them. And here they are.”

Because you’re not paying for the gold in the earrings, you can focus on the setting. On the stones. On the design. For instance the birthstone for a person born in July is the Ruby. A ruby in a gold earring will set you back a fair bit. But sterling silver let’s you give an extremely personalized gift at a more affordable price.

When it comes to sterling silver earrings, it is what it is. A great gift, given in the spirit of the occasion.

The person getting the earrings will be thrilled. Because, yes, the setting is pretty. And yes they are a great gift. And thankfully, they require no interpretation. Because, yes – it is what it is.

Earrings made with silver, though not likely sterling, have been found and dated to about 5000 years ago. Modern day sterling silver earrings can actually be made of a variety of different flavors of sterling silver.

Argentium® Sterling Silver is still made with 92.5% silver. However, by replacing some of the copper with germanium, the new sterling silver was:

• more resistant to tarnish;
• more resistant to staining;
• easier to work with;
• more easily welded.

Silver PMC

PMC stands for “Precious Metal Clay.” Essentially, the process of creating this silver material involves suspending minute particles of silver in an organic binding material. Giving the end mixture a clay-like feel.

This material is formed and molded into jewelry ‘parts’, which will be soldered together to form the final piece. However, before this happens, the ‘silver clay’ is put in a kiln to be fired. During the firing process, the binder is burned off. the material that leaves the oven is actually 99.9% silver.

The current state of the art appears to be the pursuit of the PMC technology to produce ‘sterling silver’ with varying characteristics.

A great Tutorial that that shows how to make Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings. For more information contact the craftsperson on her website: www.CanadianRockiesArt.com.

Sterling silver is, contrary to popular belief, not 100% pure silver. It is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. It’s the copper that give it strength, and makes it very attractive for making things like sterling silver earrings.

Earrings made with silver, though not likely sterling, have been found and dated to about 5000 years ago. Modern day sterling silver earrings can actually be made of a variety of different flavors of sterling silver.

About 10 minutes long, a short tutorial for beginners in making jewellery – the earrings are made using sterling silver.

For those of you who are interested in using sterling silver to make your own earrings, here is a video that with give you some insight as to how to make Sterling Silver Ball Earrings by melting wire into balls and forming into a cute pair of earrings. The jewelry designer demonstrates working with a torch, forming, forging, and finishing these easy to make earrings. silversmyth.com & silversmyth.com