925 Silver Jewelry and Silver Earrings

Silver jewelry, in order to be called silver must be at least 92.5% pure, which is why the stamp 925 (or the label 925 Silver Jewellery). However, in many cases 95.8 % is the percentage designated to genuine sterling silver. It may also be plated or coated with .999 silver to give it an additional luster, or may be rhodium plated with silver or gold.

Silver – Modern, Art Deco, Unique

Fine silver jewellery, especially silver hoop earrings and sterling silver rings have become increasingly a la mode for several reasons: it is less than half the price of gold, it combines well with chic modern designs, it is used by new designers and artisans, and creative beginner jewelers, who make unique art deco and handcrafted pieces from this less expensive metal before being able to afford gold, and it is a light metal color that can be worn by women and men with cool, ruddy or fair skin tones that gold doesn’t flatter.

White Gemstone and Silver Illusions

Many jewelry creations that use diamonds, cubic zirconia or white crystal are best when combined with silver or white metals. Crystal earrings, cubic zirconia earrings, diamond studs, and many vintage silver earrings are set into sterling silver because the white metal around white gemstones or glass or crystal can make the stone appear larger by being of a similar tone as the gem. This is especially true in pavé hoop earring settings and pave rings where the stones are set continuously into the metal to appear as solid diamond or glass or crystal gems. When the metal blends seamlessly around the stones, the gems appear to have no (or little) interruption and therefore a ring or earring set may look more costly or more gem studded.

Stainless steel jewelry that incorporates white gemstones or crystal also works to create a similar appealing optical effect, as does platinum, white gold and titanium. However, silver, being more reasonably priced than white gold or platinum will win out when the settings are created with CZ gems or crystal because the idea behind these pieces of jewelry is to offer affordable jewelry, otherwise they might as well be made from genuine diamonds. Many of the same items that are made in gold can be had for a fraction of the cost in sterling silver. However, cost is not the only reason many ladies and gents choose silver bracelets and sterling silver rings over the identical pieces set in gold.

Sterling Silver for Everyday & Travel

Silver is simply more becoming on many men and women. I’m amongst those people who actually prefer silver jewelry even when offered, or having within my budget, the same options in gold. Silver matches my style, my wardrobe and my skin tone better, and unless I’m given a piece of antique or vintage jewelry that is one of a kind, I will seldom select gold for myself.

I have found that cubic zirconia earrings, diamond studs (and even heavier earrings that are made as clip on earrings) are much more delicate and suitable for casual and everyday wear when made in silver. Sterling silver earrings and silver hoop earrings and silver drop earrings can be worn with a casual pair of slacks and a sweater or with the little black cocktail dress whereas I find that the same pieces in gold may only work for cocktail ensembles or very dressy events.

Silver is also great to wear when traveling for two reasons: it’s less of a financial loss if for some reason a piece were to be misplaced and it’s less of a temptation for thieves. During my international travels as a journalist, I made it a habit to never wear flashy jewelry of any kind (even if it was fake) in very poor regions or where there was a high rate of theft – however I never had a problem wearing some simple silver earrings or a few bangles or bracelets because most thieves cannot resell silver readily and silver fetches a very low price in third world countries. Therefore simple silver earings are a safe option to be able to feel feminine without running the risk of being assaulted over it.

Sterling Silver Earring Options for your Face Shape

We often buy earrings just because we see them and like the way they look hanging on a rack – big mistake. Earrings, like clothing and accessories are personal to us as individuals. Foe example a pear shaped woman or a woman with wide hips or a curvaceous figure would never consider wearing a multicolored horizontal striped dress or ensembles wide hip belts. Instead she will choose vertical lines and dark solid colors.

Also a short woman would refrain from chopping up her figure into segments wearing a short blouse, short contrasting skirt and thigh high boots. Instead she will do well to select a monochrome dress or blouse and skirt that don’t contrast and sheer hosiery or bare legs with simple wedge sandals or high-heeled pumps to elongate her body and made her legs appear longer. Likewise with earrings women should pay attention to the shape of their face in order to select the most flattering style.

Here are the face shapes:

Round Face – this shape has almost identical width and length
Oval Face – this shape is balanced with well proportions of length and width
Heart-Shaped Face – this shape is characterized by having a wide forehead and pointed chin
Rectangular/Long/Thin Face – this shape is longer than it is wide, but otherwise proportionate
Square Face – this shape has the same width as length with an accentuated cube like jaw line
Triangular Face – this shape has a wide jaw line and a narrower forehead
Diamond Face – This shape has wide cheek bones, narrow forehead and jaw line.

It can be difficult to determine your own face shape because you see yourself as a whole not as a silhouette. So, if you don’t know what shape face you have here’s quick way to find out. Go to the bathroom mirror with an erasable whiteboard marker. Using the marker, outline the reflection of your face. Now stand back and look at the shape. As a simple line drawing it will be obvious what category you fall into. Although there are variations, everyone tends to be more of one than another.

Okay, now that you know your face shape, read what earring styles will be most flattering for you.

Round Face Earring Styles

The best choices will be slender dangle earrings, drop earrings, slim curved lines and long silver earrings with charms. Square and rectangular settings may also work but make sure they are not too chunky or pressed too close to your lobes or against the sides of your cheeks. Teeny little stud earrings don’t work as well as say two or three teardrops or briolette style gems or elongated pearl earrings (not small round pearls).

Large hoop earrings are also not going to be your best choices. I you love hoops, try medium oval hoop earrings with a charm or a dangling gem. Just keep in mind that you are trying to bring the eye (of an observer) down, toward your neckline. Do not add width to the sides of your cheeks – keep everything flowing down. A slightly different option, also long and slender, would be silver cross earrings or linked chain silver earrings that are longer than they are wide.

Oval Face Earring Styles

Perhaps due to what the fashion world considers the standard of perfection, oval faced women have what is known as a classic shape and therefore have the most choices. This will depend of how long versus wide your face is and how high your forehead is and what hairstyle you have.

If your oval face tends to be long and your forehead is high, you will probably want to avoid wearing extra long dangling or thin earrings that elongate your face even more. Ideal shapes are sterling silver hoop earrings, medium length dangles and even pave half circle hoops.

Heart Face Earring Styles

Since a heart shaped face will be naturally wider at the top and narrow at the chin, you will want to add width to the lower section of your face. This can be achieved with triangular shapes that are wider at the bottom such as chandelier earrings and triangular shaped hooped earrings or silver dangle earrings that have heavier and wide gems at the bottom. You can also wear log and chunky earrings so long as they are not silver heart earrings – heart shaped earrings for heart shaped faces is just too much. Also try to avoid huggy style earrings that add weight to your cheeks.

Square Face Earring Styles

The perfect earrings to compliment a square shaped face are round – large silver hoop earrings and soft curved lines including hoops with charms or silver drop earrings. Some unique choices would be Celtic earrings that are circular but have interesting details. The only styles you should try to avoid are sharp angles and square shapes and overly short earrings. You want to add length while reducing the boxyness of the jaw line. Silver chandelier earrings are okay as long as they are not too wide.

Long/Thin Face Earring Styles

Since your face is naturally long and slender you will want to wear studs and large earrings that add width to your face. Long dangling earrings would not be ideal. If you love long earrings, make sure they have width also or are triangular shapes with the flat side at the bottom. Small hoops also work well.

Diamond Face Earring Styles

This shape is good for earrings that are wider than they are long. Drop earrings are fine as long as they have some dimension and are not just straight long or thin earrings. Most short chandelier earrings that have several loops and lots of width are great; avoid silver charms that have long thin shapes and little width.

Triangular Face Earring Styles

Triangular face shapes, like square faces, need something to soften the sharp lines. The best options will be hoop earrings and other circular or oval shapes. You can even wear large round gemstones, small silver stud earrings, and chandelier earrings and even hoops, so long as the tip of the earring is not pointed but wide at the bottom or curved upward or with some texture or detail. Round hammered silver earrings and disc style solid silver earrings can be a great choice- also close huggy earrings and heavier clip on earrings that cover the entire lobe.

Jewelry Combining

A silver earring set if studded with diamonds or multicolored jewels, or if it is a large chandelier earring style or a pair of intricate and unique vintage silver earrings or very large silver earrings (or gold earrings), or long dangle earrings should not be combined with heavy silver necklaces or chokers or a silver locket or other jewelry that is too close to the earrings. This means, no heavy or chunky necklaces or large broaches on the lapel or collar. Give your ensemble elegance by allowing space between jewelry pieces. Here are some simple suggestions to follow:

If your earrings are the feature, then don’t add a necklace.
If the necklace is the feature, wear only some small drop or stud earrings.
You may add extra detail with matching silver bracelets or one or two tasteful silver rings, but decide which pieces will be the focal point.
When wearing pearl jewelry, don’t overdue it with pearl earrings and lots of strands of pearl beads, bracelets and rings all together. Select the feature piece. Then add simple accents.
Unless the jewelry has been designed with gemstones, diamonds and pearls mixed together in some unusual creation, don’t mix pearls and gemstones or too many metal colors or textures and different gemstones unless you’re deliberately trying to achieve an eccentric deco style.

Wedding Jewelry Selection…

…for Bride, Groom and the Bridal Party

For your wedding you may have selected a sterling silver earring or some unusual handmade silver earrings that are delicate and dangle just perfectly between your jaw line and shoulders – about midway. If your dress or gown has a sweeping open neckline and bare shoulders, you may add one single strand of pearls or a very delicate necklace, but it is not imperative to do so.

The most elegant bridal looks feature no necklaces at all.

Your earrings, wedding rings and a simple bracelet will more than enough. If you are going for a more modern look with a pave diamond or silver hoop earring set then it is best your wedding rings be silver or white gold or platinum and not gold.

If you have selected gold wedding rings then pair them with gold earrings. Don’t mix your metals unless they are mixed in the settings by the jewelry designer. It tends to look cheap and less elegant.

If you have been given some gold or silver family heirlooms and you wish to wear them on your wedding day, then don’t combine other modern jewelry in a different metal. Try to combine similar styles and textures, be it gold jewelry or any other metal. You can pair white gold earrings however with silver bangles, silver chains and silver pendants because the difference between silver and white gold is not readily apparent, both being white metals.

Gifts for Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

Gemstone jewelry for the bride and perhaps some delicate silver charm bracelets for the bridesmaids and some silver cufflinks for the groom and groomsmen can be good to purchase together so the jewelry has a similar feel. It looks odd for a bride to have one style, say pearls or gemstones and then to have heavy chunky modern jewelry on the rest of the bridal party.

It is good, if you are not going to provide the jewelry to the bridesmaids and groomsmen, to discuss what each person what they will wear ahead of time so it does not end up that one bridesmaid is wearing something that totally distracts from what the others have chosen. A good way to ensure that all the jewelry will be tasteful is to give each bridesmaid and groomsman a simple present, as a thank you for being part of the bridal party. It need not be expensive.

Some inexpensive silver jewellery like a pair of fashion earrings, heart earrings, or beaded earrings for each lady may cost only a few dollars. Or perhaps a silver bracelet or a small silver bangle for each lady would suffice. At least you will be sure that everyone will have something tasteful to wear – an earring set, a silver necklace or a simple silver bracelet or silver bangle. (Don’t forget to check if your bridesmaids have pierced ears or if they will require clip earrings.)

925 Silver Jewelry with Less Expensive Gemstones

It’s common to wear plain silver jewelry that has no precious gemstone or diamond, especially for casual or daily use, but it needn’t be the only option. Here are some other ideas that are not too over the top and work well for daily use without too ostentatious.

Amber earrings in 925 sterling silver settings are elegant, unique and yet not too glitzy for the office or any professional work environment. Black earrings are also great with formal business suits, and there are a wide variety of black earring options such as inexpensive black onyx and even black pearls. There are also some stunning creations in silver and black enamel or small black diamond studs.

Another tasteful and not too outlandish a choice are garnet earrings which are often a classic wine or deep red color. There are also some garnets used in heart earrings that are soft rose or pink in color. For a stylish and lucky bit of color to your silver why not try some Oriental jade earrings or even a pair of soft green peridot earrings. They are all genuine gemstones, but as expensive as say rubies, emeralds or sapphires.

Silver and Marcasite Costume Jewelry Ideas

Another classic yet often overlooked jewelry idea is beaded earrings, which now can resemble pearls, gemstones and even Swarovski crystal beads that are timeless and stylish. For younger ladies there are many silver butterfly earrings or dolphin earrings (for the traditional little ladies) and cross earrings for the more avant-garde. Don’t rule out marcasite earrings, which are actually white iron pyrite (marcasite is a chemically unstable and very brittle mineral). Anyway, marcasite or pyrite is mixed with silver to give an antiqued look, so you can have antique style earrings and jewelry that is not very expensive.

There are gorgeous pearl earring and handmade earring settings with or without gemstones that look like Victorian antique earrings, for under $20, and are of good quality for everyday wear. Another option to consider is that if you love pearl earring settings you may like inlayed mother of pearl earrings that are more affordable, or even some handmade earrings or gemstone earrings that have accents in shell or mother-of-pearl.

Another idea that is inexpensive is buying birthstone earrings which, although they are made with precious or semi-precious stones, are usually less expensive. We often associate birthstones with ring silver jewelry creations; but there are also earrings, even charms for silver hoops in birthstone colors.

Wholesale Silver Jewelry for Resale

Wholesale earrings are so inexpensive that every tattoo shop, hair salon and aesthetics salon or clinic should offer their clients a few pieces to choose from. If you are piercing ears or doing body piercing, then you not only should offer your clients some silver jewelry but it is considered part of your business to do so.

It is expected that you will have an inventory of cheap earrings and medium priced body jewelry, be it wholesale silver jewellery that you have acquired from your favorite handmade silver jewelry expert or designer silver jewellery or some kind of handcrafted silver jewelry distributor you have discovered. For pierced ears, you can consider earrings chandelier, earrings crystal, especially Swarovski crystal, or earrings turquoise or the most popular hoop earrings.

For those who do body piercing you should have some silver or surgical steel or other hypoallergenic pieces for belly button piercings, lip and tongue piercings and a few barbells and charms. Sterling silver jewelry is cheap and popular, so if you don’t have a selection for your clients, you should find cheap jewelry online distributor immediately.

Article Written By Nena | Category: Earrings, Silver Jewelry

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