Sterling Silver is perfect for Wedding Rings!

By -
With gold and platinum prices at outrageous levels, sterling silver is becoming popular for those who want white, precious-metal wedding rings.  Here at Viridian, we have watched the costs of our jewelry items double in the last few years because of huge gold and platinum price increases.  Yes, you read that correctly!  A gold ring that cost $150 a few years ago is now priced at $300.  So, it is no wonder that couples are turning to sterling silver for high-quality wedding rings which will endure forever!  A popular seller is our "Joined by Christ" Wedding Ring, pictured at left, which is a fraction of the cost of the white gold version, yet just as beautiful!  Sterling silver is 92.5% silver, mixed with a small amount of other metals for strength, hence the marking "925" that you will find on some silver jewelry. It may also be marked "STER".

But, doesn't silver tarnish?  Yes, it does, but for most people, a silver ring will not severely tarnish if it is worn continuously, because the natural friction on your finger, handwashing, and body oils will keep the silver from tarnishing.  In fact, silver will develop it's natural "patina", which refers to the glow of the aged silver surface which softens in appearance over time due to tiny surface abrasions and oxidation.  Recessed areas of the ring will also develop an oxidation layer, or slight tarnish, which serves to highlight the design of the ring.  Sometimes the ring may develop a layer of tarnish if the wearer swims in a highly-chlorinated pool, or allows the ring to be exposed to some other caustic chemicals, but this tarnish can be easily removed by rubbing between the fingers with non-gel toothpaste!

At Viridian Gold, we offer a number of 925 silver rings that are identical in design and construction quality to our gold rings.   For example, our "Crown of Thorns" Wedding Ring, pictured at right, is available in 925 silver, as well as 14k gold.  And even more attractive is the fact that raw silver prices recently dropped about 30%, which has allowed us to actually reduce our prices for all of our silver items! See more rings in our collections of Sterling Silver Fashion and Designer Rings, and our ever popular Sterling Silver Religious and Rosary Rings.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tri-Color and Two-Tone Gold, what are they?

By -
Image
A recent email from one of our visitors asked me to explain what " Tri -Color Gold" means (as in our Flower Hoop Earrings shown here), and it occurred to me that a lot of folks may wonder about that, as well as "Two-Tone Gold". So here is an overview of what these terms mean--but first, an overview of gold colors. Pure 24K gold is of course a beautiful deep gold-yellow color. But, pure gold is too soft to be used in solid form for most kinds of jewelry--for instance, a ring made of pure gold would be too soft to hold up under continued wear on your finger. It would easily get squashed and scratched in everyday use. In addition, with pure gold trading at around $900 to $1,000 per ounce (the highest prices in history), pure gold jewelry is too expensive for most folks. All gold jewelry is therefore mixed with other metals to make it stronger and more economical--mixing metals together is called "alloying". When alloyed, the deep yellow of pure gold can be c
Read more

Hollow/Tubular, v.s. Solid Wedding Rings

By -
Image
Because the price of gold has gone up so much in the last 5 years, we are seeing more gold jewelry that uses techniques to reduce the gold content of the piece, and thereby lower the cost.  One recently resurrected concept is the manufacture of wedding bands which are hollow on the inside.  So, your ring will look exactly like a solid ring, but it will weigh much less, and therefore cost less!  But.... Hollow rings, sometimes referred to as tubular, or "Silk Fit Ⓡ", cannot be re-sized like a solid ring.  And, because they are hollow, they can be easily dented in normal use.  Once dented, they cannot be easily repaired, if at all.  And, they may not even cost less... For example, I found a size 10, 14K white gold "Silk Fit Ⓡ" band on eBay, listed for $170.  The gold weight is listed as 1.2 grams.  Our 14K White Gold Comfort Fit Gold Band in a size 10 is shown on our website today as $239.00, and the gold weight is 3.1 grams, over two and a half times more gol
Read more

Determining Spacer Bead Size

By -
Image
Many people use spacer beads to separate charms on bracelets, necklaces and charm holders, but figuring out what size to purchase can sometimes be challenging.  At Viridian Gold, we carry a selection of spacer beads, and each bead is available in several different sizes (see:  http://www.viridiangold.com/charms.html ) When determining what size spacer bead to purchase, first take into consideration what item of jewelry the bead will be added to - will it go on a chain necklace or bracelet, or a charm holder?  Next, figure out the millimeter width of the item on which you want to add the bead.  If it's a chain, how wide is chain?  How wide is the clasp?  If you are unsure, reach for the nearest ruler.  Rulers frequently have millimeter measurements opposite the inch measurements, and millimeters are what are needed for a chain width measurement.  Place your ruler on a flat surface in a horizontal position, and then place your chain across the ruler in a vertical position.  Make
Read more