Silver Jewelry

What Is “Sterling Silver”?

Sterling silver is by far the most popular silver alloy in the world for jewelry.  Sterling silver (also called .925 silver) is an alloy consisting of 92.5 percent fine silver and 7.5 percent other metals (usually copper).  Jewelry manufacturers use sterling silver because of its strength and durability — fine silver alone is too soft and too easily damaged to be used as jewelry.

In the United States, an alloy must be at least 92.5 percent fine silver to be marketed as “silver”.  All silver items in Samantha’s Treasure Chest Collections are .925 sterling silver. (If it is plated or not silver it will be plainly stated!)

How Is Sterling Silver Jewelry Finished?

Different silver jewelry items may be finished in different ways.  For some items, the .925 sterling silver design is plated with a thin layer of .999 fine silver.  This process is known as flashing, and it gives the item a shiny finish. Some factories will apply a plating of nickel or copper on the jewelry prior to applying the .999 silver plating. Though this flashing method gives the jewelry a brighter, longer shelf life it does require re-plating if sized or machine buffed. Other silver items are rhodium plated, which again results in a bright, shiny finish.  Other jewelry items may be gold plated or left unplated depending on the design.  Flashing or plating silver jewelry also helps reduce irritation or discoloration for customers with sensitive skin. 

How Can I Keep My Sterling Silver Items

Looking Great?

Sterling silver is susceptible to tarnish – this is a natural reaction the metal has with chemicals in the air.  Thankfully, preventative maintenance can help keep your sterling silver jewelry looking great for years to come.  Frequent light polishing with a polishing cloth designed for sterling silver — such as you will find in our store — will help minimize tarnish.  You can also wash your jewelry periodically with mild dish soap and warm water — be sure to rinse well and dry completely before putting your jewelry away.

You can minimize tarnish of items that are stored in a display case by using desiccated silica gel, granules that absorb the humidity in the air.  Covering the jewelry in your cases with Pacific Jeweler’s Cloth (available at most fabric stores) will also help minimize tarnish.  When storing silver jewelry items, keeping them in sealed polyethylene bags will help reduce tarnish as well.

Tarnish can be easily removed when first noticed.  However, if left untreated, the color of the tarnish will darken and will become more difficult to remove, requiring professional cleaning.

It is also important to avoid exposing sterling silver jewelry to harsh chemicals like chlorine, cosmetics, hair spray, and perfume, and to avoid extended exposure to direct sunlight. 

What is Rhodium Plating?

Rhodium plating - wear resistance

Rhodium is the hardest of all of the precious metals. It provides the most wear resistant finish possible for the most demanding environments.

Jewelers often use rhodium plating as a finish on silver, white gold and platinum jewelry. It gives the jewelry a brighter finish. Rhodium plated jewelry is hypoallergenic so it won't turn your skin green. If you have yellow gold jewelry you can also have it rhodium plated for a new look. If you change your mind it can be removed.

Rhodium plating has a tendency to wear over time. Fortunately for those of us that have rhodium plated jewelry we can have it re-plated. IF the rhodium plating finish wears and how fast is wears depends on the type of metal that is plated and how well and how thick the plating was applied. It also depends on how much the jewelry is worn and how you care for it.

Avoid rubbing your jewelry against surfaces. If you're going to be doing a lot of work with your hands, you'll want to remove your rings during that time. This goes for when you're doing tasks such as heavy cleaning and yard work. You would not want to wear ANY fine jewelry when doing these types of tasks!

Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver Care

Some sterling silver jewelry is plated with rhodium; this is designed to make your jewelry tarnish resistant. Caring for rhodium-plated sterling silver jewelry requires a different approach than non-plated sterling silver jewelry.

Clean it with a soft polishing rag or fine cleaner, but never use chemical based silver cleaners because this will damage the rhodium finish and also the inlaid gemstones.

If you own antique sterling silver jewelry or rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry we recommend that you seek expert advice from your local jeweler who will be able to instruct you on the best brands of jewelry cleaning products in your area.

We carry a large Selection of Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver Jewelry and hope you will visit our store often!

If you have any additional questions; please feel free to email us at :

Sherrie@Samanthas-Treasure-Chest.com