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Silver
The value of silver as a precious metal has long been considered second only to gold. Sterling silver contains 92.5% silver, the remainder being copper or some other metal. The word ‘sterling’ has been used to mean high quality silver since the 13thC. Some fine jewellery made of silver, particularly that of a foreign make, is marked .925 instead of with the word sterling.
View the Silver Jewellery Collection at Astley Clarke.
History and Background
In fact in Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe, it was often considered even more valuable than gold. While gold is associated with the sun, silver is associated with the moon, the sea and various lunar goddesses. As a result of these lunar associations, silver has traditionally been held to be a repellant against several fictional monsters, notably vampires and werewolves. It was believed that a werewolf could only be killed by a weapon or bullet made of silver, and this is the root of the term ‘silver bullet’, which describes something which deals very effectively with a specific problem.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, believed that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties. Silver compounds were successfully used to prevent infection in World War I, before the advent of antibiotics. Nowadays, silver is used with alginate, a product derived from seaweed, to treat wounds. This is particularly successful on burns.
The Phoenicians used to store water, wine, and vinegar in silver bottles to prevent spoiling. In the early 20thC it was common for people to put silver dollars in milk bottles to prolong the milk's freshness.
In the New Testament, Judas Iscariot is infamous for having taken a bribe of thirty pieces of silver from religious leaders in Jerusalem for betraying Jesus Christ, demonstrating the lure and value of silver.
Properties of Silver
Silver has an attractive shiny appearance, although it tarnishes relatively easily. The tarnish is silver sulphide and forms as the silver reacts with sulphur compounds in the atmosphere. To help prevent this, it is recommended that silver be stored in airtight containers. Silver is strong, malleable and ductile and is the best reflector of visible light known. It can endure extreme temperature ranges, making it an ideal material from which to make fine jewellery.
Silver can be hammered out into sheets so thin that it would take 100,000 of them to make a stack an inch high. These sheets are so thin that light shines through them. Silver’s excellent ductility, like that of gold, means it can be drawn into threads finer than a human hair.
Silver is vital in photography, with about 30% of industrial consumption in the U.S., for example, going into this application.
Until 1920, British coins were sterling silver (ie – 92.5% silver). However, in 1920 the silver content was reduced to 50% and in 1946 all silver was eliminated from British coins. Now they are made of a copper nickel alloy. This was part of an attempt to reduce silver consumption, as demand now outstrips production considerably.
In the Western hemisphere, silver is principally produced in Mexico, Canada, Peru, and the U.S.
View the Silver Jewellery Collection at Astley Clarke.
Oxidised Sterling Silver
As its popularity grows, more and more beautiful designer jewelry is being produced in oxidised sterling silver due to it’s unique colour and finish. Oxidized sterling silver jewellery is darker and its finish is less sparkling than untreated sterling silver.
Oxidized silver is produced when atomic oxygen reacts with silver. Silver reacts to oxygen very easily when it is treated with chemicals such as Potassium Sulphide (also known as Liver of Sulphur)
The silver has a smoky look after it has gone through the chemical treatment making it a unique alternative for anyone who loves wearing sterling silver jewellery.
View the Oxidised Silver Jewellery Collection at Astley Clarke.
View the Silver Jewellery Collection at Astley Clarke.
History and Background
In fact in Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe, it was often considered even more valuable than gold. While gold is associated with the sun, silver is associated with the moon, the sea and various lunar goddesses. As a result of these lunar associations, silver has traditionally been held to be a repellant against several fictional monsters, notably vampires and werewolves. It was believed that a werewolf could only be killed by a weapon or bullet made of silver, and this is the root of the term ‘silver bullet’, which describes something which deals very effectively with a specific problem.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, believed that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties. Silver compounds were successfully used to prevent infection in World War I, before the advent of antibiotics. Nowadays, silver is used with alginate, a product derived from seaweed, to treat wounds. This is particularly successful on burns.
The Phoenicians used to store water, wine, and vinegar in silver bottles to prevent spoiling. In the early 20thC it was common for people to put silver dollars in milk bottles to prolong the milk's freshness.
In the New Testament, Judas Iscariot is infamous for having taken a bribe of thirty pieces of silver from religious leaders in Jerusalem for betraying Jesus Christ, demonstrating the lure and value of silver.
Properties of Silver
Silver has an attractive shiny appearance, although it tarnishes relatively easily. The tarnish is silver sulphide and forms as the silver reacts with sulphur compounds in the atmosphere. To help prevent this, it is recommended that silver be stored in airtight containers. Silver is strong, malleable and ductile and is the best reflector of visible light known. It can endure extreme temperature ranges, making it an ideal material from which to make fine jewellery.
Silver can be hammered out into sheets so thin that it would take 100,000 of them to make a stack an inch high. These sheets are so thin that light shines through them. Silver’s excellent ductility, like that of gold, means it can be drawn into threads finer than a human hair.
Silver is vital in photography, with about 30% of industrial consumption in the U.S., for example, going into this application.
Until 1920, British coins were sterling silver (ie – 92.5% silver). However, in 1920 the silver content was reduced to 50% and in 1946 all silver was eliminated from British coins. Now they are made of a copper nickel alloy. This was part of an attempt to reduce silver consumption, as demand now outstrips production considerably.
In the Western hemisphere, silver is principally produced in Mexico, Canada, Peru, and the U.S.
View the Silver Jewellery Collection at Astley Clarke.
Oxidised Sterling Silver
As its popularity grows, more and more beautiful designer jewelry is being produced in oxidised sterling silver due to it’s unique colour and finish. Oxidized sterling silver jewellery is darker and its finish is less sparkling than untreated sterling silver.
Oxidized silver is produced when atomic oxygen reacts with silver. Silver reacts to oxygen very easily when it is treated with chemicals such as Potassium Sulphide (also known as Liver of Sulphur)
The silver has a smoky look after it has gone through the chemical treatment making it a unique alternative for anyone who loves wearing sterling silver jewellery.
View the Oxidised Silver Jewellery Collection at Astley Clarke.
