Shopping for Silver Jewelry Online
August 3, 2010 by cattleto
Filed under Jewelry Tips
The cost of silver has increased progressively over time, thus creating high demand and greater value. Just like platinum and gold, silver is a very precious metal with its value going beyond its aesthetic appeal. As a rule of thumb, a metal is considered precious when it is believed to be rare. Just like gold, silver has been used as currency by several nations, thanks to its great value. Today however, it is bought mainly for jewelry and investments. Beyond doubt, the market value of silver is an additional incentive when buying silver jewelry. There are some guidelines to help you when shopping for silver jewelry online so that you can have a valuable, safe, and secure transaction.
First and foremost, as is with buying any other commodity online, it is highly recommended that you establish the integrity and credibility of any e-seller website that you visit. This you do by searching within the website for icons referring clients to established and credible third party organizations working with information security and consumer reviews. Normally, you can look at the company information or a certificate on the third party websites that give you an unbiased view of the online retailer in question. Ensure you take a closer look at the dates on the certificates to ascertain their validity and ensure they aren’t expired.
The second most important thing is the warranty. Usually there would be a 30 day period offered for both exchanges and refunds. As is with any other commodity, a reputable and good retailer will always give their products a very strong warranty. Always feel free to contact your chosen e-retailer to inquire about the warranty. This way, you also get to find out about their level of customer support by how they will respond to your queries. After establishing the integrity and credibility of your selected e-retailer, and verified a very strong and valid warranty, you can then go ahead and search for your jewelry.
Once you find a desirable piece of jewelry made of silver, you should do a thorough inspection to verify that the jewelry is indeed .925 sterling silver. Silver as it is, is a very soft metal when in its purest form to be used for ornamental wear. As such, it will be mixed with several alloys to make it ‘usable’ so to speak. The .925 means that the piece of jewelry is made up of 92.5% silver and the rest is the alloy used. Basically, this is the industry acceptable standard and is the maximum level of silver you can ever get in any jewelry today. Genuine silver will normally be stamped with the .925 which if it isn’t visible on your screen, you can email or call your e-retailer to verify the presence of a stamp or you can hold your horses and wait to physically inspect the jewelry upon receiving it.
With your piece of silver at hand, you have to be aware of silver finishing. Naturally, silver jewelry spots a somewhat dull grayish tone hence will need an occasional finishing. Several techniques can be used to finish silver jewelry i.e. rhodium coating, enamel coating, and nickel plaiting. Finishing provides a shiny tone on your piece of sterling silver in addition to providing extra protection against tarnishing. Be advised that silver jewelry generally starts to tarnish or darken over time through the chemical process known as oxidation. Note however that this doesn’t devalue the metal itself.
Keep in mind that silver jewelry that contain nickel can at times cause an allergic reaction which manifest as green coloration on the skin. This is however very rare and not really dangerous. You should question your e-seller about nickel free pieces of silver jewelry. With these guidelines, you can be able to walk away with a satisfying piece of jewelry.
