ABOUT STERLING SILVER . . .
Lita Sea Glass Jewelry uses .925 sterling silver in all of our designs unless otherwise stated as 14k gold or 14k gold filled. We take pride in each and every piece of jewelry that we create and strive to make top quality heirloom jewelry that will last a lifetime! Keeping this concept in mind please know that each and every last piece of your jewelry, right down to the wire (literally!) is made with solid sterling silver for strength and durability. Sea glass is becoming less and less abundant and the value of "jewelry quality" sea glass is increasing. With all of our sea glass jewelry perfectly preserved in sterling silver we are able to create a level of quality that will with stand the test of time and increase in value over the years. This guide will help you learn to identify quality in sterling silver jewelry and give you some background information about sterling silver and what it's made of.
QUALITIES OF STERLING SILVER . . .
Pure silver is relatively soft, very malleable, and easily damaged so it's commonly combined with other metals to produce a more durable product. The most popular of these alloys is stering silver, which consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper.
Although any metal can make up the 7.5 percent portion of sterling, experimentation with sterling silver jewelry has shown that copper is the best choice. It helps to improve the metals hardness and durability with out effecting it's beautiful color. It is this addtion of the 7.5 percent copper that is mostly responsible for the tarnish or oxidation process when exposed to common elements such as air and sunlight.
The small amount of copper added to the silver does not affect the metal's value. Purchasing sterling silver jewelry is a smart investment because over the years the value of the metal has consistantly gone up and has more then doubled over the past 20 years. The final price of the jewelry is not only based on the amount of sterling silver use but also by important factors like the labor involved in making the item, the skill of the craftsperson, the intricacy of the design and the rareness of the sea glass.
STAMP OF APPROVAL . . .
All high quality sterling silver designer jewelry is marked or stamped to show proof that it is created from fine materials. This mark designated the precious metal content of the jewelry, and under federal law is required to be accompanied by the maker's name or trademark logo. All of Lita Sea Glass Jewelry's bezel set designs are stamped .925 (the code for sterling silver) along with "Lita" to designate the authenticity of our designs and prodcuts.