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The History of Sterling Silver Charms

Sterling silver charms – which are sometimes known as amulets and pendants – are as popular today as they have been all throughout recorded history. Ancient Egyptians wore bracelets with charms or amulets made of silver. They were used to protect against bad luck and evil forces and eventually became a part of their everyday dress.

Jewelry was made of almost any material of value to people in this time. Many were made of precious metal. Others were made with gemstones inlaid in them or mounted with precious metals in the form of necklaces, crowns, staffs, and bracelets. Queen Victoria popularized jewelry charms throughout Europe by wearing lockets or charms in public. America became enthralled with charms during World War II. Soldiers returning from duty station brought with them various types of charms or pendants. Today popular charms are made from gold and of course, sterling silver.

Today, sterling silver charms represent as many ideas and interests as there are people who wear them. Some people still wear them as an expression of their religious devotion. Other people wear sterling silver charms that represent their particular interest. For example, a musician might wear a charm shaped in the form of a musical instrument. A runner might wear a charm shaped like a pair of sneakers. A ballet dance might wear one shaped like a pair of or ballet slippers and so on.

Sterling silver is much stronger than pure silver which is harder to work with when making pendants or charms. Moreover, Sterling silver is approximately ninety percent silver. The last ten percent or so can be any one of the following: copper, zinc, or nickel and is more durable than pure silver but it still retains its inherent beauty.

Caring for Sterling Silver

Do not be deterred by the need to clean sterling silver jewelry. Sterling silver jewelry will keep shining as long as you take good care of it. Here you have the choice of cleaning your charms and pendants yourself or having professionals do it for you. Of course, small silver charms are often given as presents for occasions such as birthdays, graduations, dance recitals, or even sports victories. In fact, Sterling silver jewelry is becoming the sensible choice to those of us who do not want to spend a lot of money on jewelry but still wish to remain fashionable and stylish. We have a variety of sterling silver charms that can match the interests of a great variety of people. And as personalization is popular in areas of commerce we also specialize in personalized jewelry so that you are not wearing what a hundred other people are wearing.   

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The Significance of Religious Charms and Pendants

Since the beginning of time, man has desired to make a visual display of his religious devotion. In some countries, men shave their heads and women cover their faces before they go out into the public. Catholic nuns cover themselves from head to toe in order to show their resistance to temptation. In Tibet, there are men who have devoted their lives to the study and meditation of their religion, cloistering themselves off from the outside world.
In the West, our ways of showing our devotion is usually more subdued in comparison. This does not mean that we do not believe in the greatness of God, nor does it mean that religious people here do not walk in the path that He has established. It simply means that many people do not choose to express their faith in such a dramatic manner.
One way that every woman and many men of the Christian faith can choose to show their beliefs is through the jewelry they wear. There are many who faithfully wear the cross or other religious symbols on silver pendants. The reason for this is quite simple: This is a way of expressing their faith. The wearing of a cross image of Christ on a pendant serves to remind those who believe in the Christian faith of the sacrifice that was made for them. Thus, many people choose silver – an element that has long been used to craft items that are unique and special to individuals – as the metal from which to make religious jewelry. Examples of the kind of religious jewelry we sell include crosses, medallions bearing the image of the Virgin Mother, St. Christopher Medals and more.
More than Simple Adornment
As you can see, the wearing of such silver jewelry is more than a fashion statement to the faithful. Moreover, the purity and beauty of plain silver jewelry has a certain appeal in a time when many crave the unusual and unnatural. In fact, with the return to several of the classic styles of dress, plain silver jewelry of all kinds is more popular than ever before.
Regardless of what the fashion industry considers to be hot and in vogue today, religious silver pendants will never go out of style. They can be found on our site at very reasonable prices. We also have sterling silver charms at wholesale prices as well as genuine sterling silver alphabet beads.

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All About Sterling Silver Pendants

The use of silver to make jewelry has been around for centuries, and although the silversmith techniques have changed somewhat throughout the years, the attention to quality and detail has not. The best thing about the current production of Sterling silver jewelry is that it is now affordable to most people whereas in the past only the very wealthy could afford it. So, in effect you can look as if you paid much more for a piece than you actually did. Today – due to improved manufacturing processes – it is relatively easy to choose a quality Sterling silver pendant, if you keep your eyes open to the little details.

Sterling silver is made from silver ore, which is then combined with other metal alloys in order to give it strength. 100% pure silver ore is very pliable – much like pure gold – and tends to quickly lose its shape when handled. The most common alloy used in silver jewelry is copper. Luckily, the addition of copper does not cause silver to lose its color but does make it able to hold its shape. This helps extend the life of your Sterling silver pendant for years on end. 

All jewelry that claims to be Sterling silver is required to be stamped or have some sort of recognized symbol. Often, it is simply marked. .925 or with a 9.25. This refers to the minimum amount of pure silver needed in its composition in order to be called Sterling silver. If the Sterling silver pendant that you are considering, is from another country it may be stamped with a unique symbol or a company mark.

Purchasing Sterling Silver

When you are shopping for a small silver charms, you will notice that the prices can fluctuate from day to day or even from store-to-store. This is because silver is a precious metal and fluctuates as the market does. We try to make sure that you get the best deal during all market conditions. After all, if the price is too low, it usually indicates that either the piece is not genuine or that it may be Silver-plated. 

Caring for Sterling Silver

Keeping your Sterling silver jewelry beautiful for many years to come requires very little effort. However, there are a few precautions that you should take in caring for your Sterling silver. First, you should not expose it to chemicals that could damage it such as bleach, ammonia, and acetone. Next, you should consider using a commercial jewelry cleaner if your silver product does become damaged rather than cleaning it yourself. Finally, you should store your Sterling silver pendant in a tarnish proof cloth when you will not be wearing it. This will help protect it from scratching against other pieces and it will reduce oxidation. (Natural oxidation or tarnish often occurs on all silver.)

Follow these care tips and you will have a lovely piece of sterling silver that will last for many years. You can improve the beauty of your silver even more by purchasing personalized jewelry. Having your piece personalized with your name with make it unique to you.