All of my pieces are handmade in fine silver, and I'm often asked what that means and how it's different from sterling silver. Here's a quick guide, plus a few tips for keeping your jewellery beautiful for years to come.
What's the difference?
Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver. It has a soft, bright white shine and is what silver clay becomes once it's fired.
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver mixed with other metals, usually copper. This makes it harder and stronger, which is why I use sterling silver for rings, chains and earring backs.
Why fine silver?
Because fine silver contains so little of anything else, it tarnishes more slowly than sterling silver. It's also lovely and soft to work with, which lets me capture really fine detail from leaves and flowers.
Caring for your jewellery
- Take it off before swimming, bathing or doing the washing up.
- Put it on last, after perfume, hairspray and lotions.
- Store it somewhere dry, ideally in its pouch or box, away from other pieces that might scratch it.
- Polish gently with a soft silver polishing cloth to bring back the shine.
- Be gentle, as fine silver is softer than sterling and can bend or scratch if knocked.
A note on textured pieces
Some of my pieces have a darker patina in the textures to help the detail stand out. When polishing, work gently over the raised areas and avoid scrubbing into the recesses, so the detail stays crisp.
If you ever have a question about caring for your piece, please get in touch. I'm always happy to help.