Why the Next Jewelry You Buy Should Made Of Sterling Silver

Posted by Allen John on March 20th, 2018

This is a very important question and when deciding the metal don’t just let price be the main concern, there are many other factors still to be considered first.

The metal should be durable since the perfect gift will be used for many years to come and maybe even by different people too when heirlooms are passed down through the generations.

There is no metal more accessible and with as much pedigree as English Sterling Silver.

Not only is it recognized that the finest silversmiths come from the United Kingdom but also the way in which the metal itself, silver, is controlled and the consumer protected by the century old Hallmarking system unique to England alone.

Since the Victorian times all manner of every day object to the ostentatious have been made from sterling silver worked and fashioned by the finest English craftsmen and exported all throughout the world! Whether it is the quintessential silver equestrian horse brooch and pins or sterling silver art nouveau brooches and pins UK made, you can rest easy in the knowledge that items made of sterling silver will stand the test of time and in fact look even better with age!

Since silver is too soft alone to make pieces of jewelry from, it is alloyed with other metals so that it can have the strength and durability are to stand the tests of time. IT has been said that silver is a poor persons gold but even though gold does cost more one should remember silver has always been the choice of kings and queens for centuries.  Silver is malleable enough so that nearly anything imagined can be made from it and silver has many health benefits too! When you combine all these great attributes of English sterling silver with the Hallmarking system then it is clear that silver has no rival and stands out as a superior metal to most! It can be used for different purposes and it not only making pieces of jewelry. For example, it can be used in making coins, utensils, items for decoration and most important it can make trendy pieces of jewelry. Pieces of jewelry made of sterling silver have become popular in the market today because people have realized that it is the best alternative for gold.

But, how do you know if something is made from English sterling silver? Well, you will have to pull out that trusty Sterling silver magnifying glass pendant necklace and look for the five English hallmarking symbols

THE SPONSOR’S MARK - This indicates the manufacturer of the article. The unique sponsor’s mark of Ari D. Norman consists of a heraldic shield and the initials AN.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN MARK - The Lion Passant, indicates British silver.

THE DATE LETTER MARK - This indicates the year in which the article was hallmarked. Each year is allocated a letter of the alphabet, when the letter 'Z' is reached, the alphabet is started again but in a font that has never been used before.

THE STANDARD MARK - This denotes the precious metal content of the alloy from which the article is made. Sterling silver is an alloy containing 92.5 percent pure silver.

THE ASSAY OFFICE MARK - There are four assay offices in The United Kingdom, where articles are tested and marked. These are located in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh. Each assay office has a unique mark which when applied to an article identifies the assay office at which that particular piece was tested and marked.