Arguably, the most popular material for making earrings is sterling silver. Though pure silver is rarely used in earrings or any other jewellery because it is too soft to resist damage caused by daily wear, sterling silver is at least 92.5% pure. The balance of the metal alloyed with silver is traditionally copper or occasionally another metal.
Sterling silver is frequently used by jewellers making earrings because it is hypoallergenic – meaning a person is unlikely to have any sort of reaction to the metal. Some people are allergic to nickel, and other metals used in the alloying process – sterling silver makes an excellent choice for posts, hooks, hoops and any other sort of earring because of its purity.
Some earrings are designed from other metals, and only the part that actually enters the ear is made from sterling silver – ask your jeweller to clarify whether all the metal is sterling silver or just the posts. When buying online, it’s especially important to make sure you’re aware of the grade of silver you’re buying – this is because the closer to pure the silver is, the more it is likely to cost, and it’s important to be sure you get what you pay for.
Also, ask your jeweller about their return, refund and exchange policy – if you need to return the earrings for any reason, bear in mind that most merchants, online or otherwise, won’t allow you to return earrings once they’ve been worn for hygiene reasons.
© Jewellery Box.org.uk 2006.
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