Reasons to Choose Silver Wedding Bands

Due to the recent record breaking prices jumps for gold (currently trading at about $1,400 an ounce) many people feel a beautiful precious metal wedding ring is just not within their budget anymore. Platinum is even more out of the question at about $1,700 an ounce. For those of you who prefer a precious metal wedding band over an alternative metal band such as titanium, which has very little value, silver wedding bands are making a big comeback. Silver jewelry has made a comeback mainly due to its affordable price and beautiful white color, but there are even more reasons to consider silver as the metal of your future wedding band.


Silver jewelry designs of the past were made to look more casual, kind of like fashion jewelry. Therefore, silver ring designs seemed tacky for use as a wedding band and people who wanted to use silver could not find a style suitable to their tastes. Today, the most influential bridal jewelry designers have created silver wedding bands, which incorporate the same designs they used to reserve for their high end platinum and white gold wedding ring lines. One such designer is Novell Design Studio based out of New Jersey. They now make all their award winning designs in all precious metals, including argentium silver.


Argentium Silver is a new silver alloy that is much more suitable for use as a wedding ring than traditional sterling silver. Because traditional silver jewelry tarnished quite readily, it was not seen as a suitable metal for rings. Silver jewelry tarnishes because it is made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. The copper in the silver jewelry is what makes it tarnish. Argentium silver is also at least 92.5% pure silver, but much of the copper content has been replaced by a metal called germanium. This metal stops silver jewelry from tarnishing and makes it more durable. This means argentium silver wedding bands will stay bright and white forever with very little maintenance.


Argentium silver is actually the whitest metal now for bridal jewelry. It is even whiter than platinum and costs only a fraction of the price. Argentium silver is superior to white gold because it does not need any rhodium plating to make it look white. White gold is really not white. It has a yellow color because of the gold used to make it. It has to be plated with a white metal called rhodium to make it look white. This plating wears off over time and the ring needs to be re-plated frequently to maintain its appearance. Silver is also hypoallergenic. It does not contain nickel like white gold.


If you are looking for a precious metal wedding ring that is affordable, non-tarnishing, low maintenance and hypoallergenic, you should consider argentium silver as the metal.
Author: Thomas Larson
more info on Silver Wedding Bands visit LarsonJewelers.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6281518

How to clean Sterling Silver Wedding Bands

sterling silver wedding bands


When come to clean Sterling Silver bands many people have difficulty to do it because they do not know the correct ways to clean sterling silver wedding bands. Actually to clean sterling silver wedding bands is simple and fast. There a several ways to clean sterling silver wedding bands
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First,avoid using harsh chemical or vigorously clean the starling silver wedding bands because it might snap off element of jewelry. It is suitable to clean sterling silver bands by using mild cleaning agents such as shampoo and tooth paste.If you use to strong cleaning solution it will cause the silver to react chemically with cleaning solution, thus cause the sterling silver bands to decrease weight. Usually a common household items like baking soda and tooth paste are most preferable to clean sterling silver bands.


Seconds,  you should wash the sterling silver with water fist then polish off the dirty surface using a soft cloth with tooth paste. you should use  straight and direct stokes to clean to take off the dirty, it is not preferable if you use circular motion in the process of polishing the sterling silver because it might harm and scratch it as well. soft brittle brush can be used to clean difficult reach area. 


Lastly, dry your jewelry thoroughly. This will prevent any ugly stains from remaining on your sterling silver jewelry. You can use any absorbent material to wipe off the liquid. It is necessary to use soft cloth to do this in order to avoid any scratches.After all the process you should not forget to store the jewelry in an air tight container. If you don't have one, a velvet or satin lined jewelry box will do just fine. You must keep the jewelry separately though.A little care and gentle cleaning can go a long way in helping you maintain your sterling silver jewelry in pristine condition for years to come.


sterling silver wedding bands