Handmade Sterling Silver Jewelry May be a Better Choice Than Gold in a Tough Economy

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Conscious designers have been moving toward mixing metals to keep costs down and others have incorporated more spaces into their designs so as not to use as much gold for their pieces. While gold bands are still very popular as wedding bands, more and more couples are looking to other metals like sterling silver and platinum when they say "I Do".

Undoubtedly, you've seen all the stores and websites begging you for gold you don't use. Jewelry stores and retailers are dying for any gold, even old pieces, broken pieces or just scraps of gold. They want any gold they can get their hands on because the cost of gold has been steadily rising from about $250 per ounce in the early 2000's to more than $1500 per ounce in today's gold market. Compare that to the cost of pure silver at just 35.51 per ounce; and it's easy to see silver's appeal.

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The price of pure silver is considerably lower than that of gold and sterling silver jewelry isn't even made from pure silver. Pure silver is too soft to make into jewelry so it's mixed with copper to make sterling silver, which can then be made into jewelry. So the cost of silver is lower to begin with and then when it's mixed to make the alloy, the cost of materials comes down even further for the designers and consequently for the consumer.

Gold is also mixed with other metals to make jewelry; however once you get down to 10K gold, the gold is less appealing than 14K and 18K gold. Many people don't realize that 10k gold is often stronger because of the other metals it is mixed with, although it is also worth less than purer gold for the same reason. Some retailers have even been offering 24K gold jewelry, but it's extremely expensive and much more difficult to come by. It's also far less resilient and careful attention must be taken to ensure that it does not break or bend. Most jewelers do not recommend wearing gold to bed because this can damage the jewelry.

sterling silver handmade jewelry doesn't lack in quality or beauty - so for those who might not have as much disposable income - sterling silver jewelry presents an excellent choice. Gold has always cost more than sterling silver, but consumers may have been more willing to overlook that in the past because of having greater discretionary dollars. But now with the struggling economy, consumers are looking for savvier ways to add to their collections. Sterling silver is certainly a wise option.

Handmade sterling silver jewelry can sell itself on its beauty, but in this day and age it can also sell itself on practicality. Sterling silver jewelry has always cost less than gold and platinum jewelry but more than ever sterling silver handcrafted jewelry may be a better choice than gold.

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