Sterling silver, sterling silver jewelry, is not pure silver, it's a composite made up of 92.5 % silver, 7.5 % copper.

So why choose sterling silver for your jewelry, and not pure silver?

The answer is that .999 fine silver jewelry, the purest silver you can get, is too soft and malleable. It's easily damaged, and cannot be worked into rings or sterling silver bands, wrapping around a stone, or for bendable wire, all of which will naturally be subject to heavy wear and tear.

That's why silver is mixed with other metals, like copper, which makes sterling silver jewelry more practical and durable. Another advantage is that the mounting for the gemstone can be made to tightly clasp the piece without damaging it. Of course if the mounting is not tight, there is a danger that your jewelry will fall out and be lost.

When buying custom pieces in gold or silver, especially when buying sterling silver wholesale a person will want to look for the hallmark on the piece before purchasing. A hallmark is the marking used to indicate the quantity of gold or silver in a specific piece.

Most crafstmen mark their custom silver jewelry to enable purchasers to check the quality of the work before buying. The hallmarks are usually quite small and you may need to use a magnifying glass to read it.

The hallmark placed on sterling silver jewelry is commonly marked "SS" (for sterling silver). For a custom piece to be considered sterling, it must have at least a .924 content of pure silver.

Traditionally, hallmarks were made by punching with a die, but the trouble is that this method can cause damage to the jewelry, resulting in the article having to be reworked after hallmarking is completed.

These days, a new method of marking is employed using laser technology, which burns the hallmark on to the jewelry, a method which is especially valuable for delicate items like pure silver, which would otherwise be damaged by the traditional technique of punching. This method of hallmarking uses high power lasers to dissolve material from the metal surface, a modern equivalent of old etching techniques using acids.

Remember, when shopping for pieces to wear, you should not forget that while a .999 fine silver jewelry may be silver in its purest form, it may only be worn sparingly, for special occasions.

Sterling silver is gradually coming back in fashion, rather than the more traditional gold jewelry.

Modern trends call for a lighter and more elegant metal to complement the darker colors used by the fashion industry. Sterling silver is great to use with these tones and of course is also one of the more affordable metals on the market.

One thing to remember with sterling silver is cleaning. Sterling silver may be durable and have a great shining potential, but it does need cleaning. If you watch period pieces on T.V., you will know that one of the servants' jobs was to continually clean the sterling silver cutlery.

You will need to differentiate between a daily, regular cleaning and a more through professional cleaning.

If you are going to wear it every day, it will get dirty. You should put on your make up before putting on your jewelry, and always keep it in a padded box when not being worn, but these small and petty precaution steps will be well worth it to enjoy the glamour of your uniquely designed sterling silver jewelry.