Sterling Silver Gemstone Jewelry

The little girls stared at the sterling silver gemstone jewelry in the case at the store. The small lights perfectly positioned within the showcase made the fifty dollar necklaces jump with so much life, it was as if they cost five thousand dollars. The young girls began to be whisked away in their imaginations as they talked back and forth about how they would like wear such glorious necklaces on their wedding day when all eyes would be just on them for a few hours. The store clerk wore a bemused smile as she also remembered a time when she often stared at wholesale silver gemstone jewelry in her grandfather's small trading post in the southwest. She remembered not the bright lights of an expensive showcase, but rather the pride in her grandfather's eyes as he pulled out the cases of sterling silver gemstone jewelry from his small safe in the back of his store. Her grandfather had made every piece by hand, and when each piece was sold, he asked the customers where they were from, so that he could envision where the handiwork was headed.

The term sterling silver is a term to describe the precious metal that has been mixed with copper in a 92.5/7.5 ratio. Copper is the one metal that doesn't harm the color of this precious metal in that proportion, which is needed to give the metal a degree of hardness. The precious metal that is pure is quite soft and malleable, and can be damaged very easily, so for certain jewelry pieces, copper is employed for longevity. Adding copper to this precious metal in that proportion does not affect the price of gemstone pieces. Instead, this precious metal jewelry is priced by the intricacy of design and quality of the craftsmanship. The popularity of this precious metal appeared to be at its height from 1870 to 1920 when the metal appeared in everything from jewelry to flatware. Since the Victorian period dictated that there should be a separate fork, spoon and knife for every course, societal dictates did not call expectations unreasonable to find three or four or more of the same utensil at every place setting.

The term silver plating ought to be a term meaning "run and hide from anything with that moniker." If a well meaning person gives you a silver coated fishing pole because that person thinks you have everything, thank them and smile, but soon it will be black. Plated fashion accessories with this metal is a recipe for disaster, because the precious metal will soon show its true colors, and it won't be the gray we are used to seeing. So if there is a thirteen year old boy reading this blog that wants to give a first girlfriend a piece that is plated with this precious metal, don't do it! Wait till you are eighteen, then give her something in a sterling silver gemstone piece, or find some wholesale silver gemstone jewelry. One will be very surprised how much things change in five years. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

This precious metal has always been the metal for the common man. It is very common and therefore the cost is very reasonable. A trip online to price wholesale silver gemstone jewelry will find the surfer discovering gemstone pieces for as little as four dollars from a wholesale outlet. From more high end retailers, beautiful jewelry with gemstones from all over the world including amethyst, topaz, larimer, pearl, jasper, garnet and citrine and almost twenty other gemstones. These delicately made pieces are much pricier, but far more beautiful than the wholesale sterling silver gemstone jewelry mentioned earlier. Again, the price of sterling silver doesn't vary, because the real thing is always advertised as true 92.5, or ninety two and a half silver, seven and a half percent copper. It is the intricate work, the details and the craftsmanship that makes the price of fashion pieces made from this precious metal rise.

Wholesale silver gemstone jewelry comes from a number of countries around the world, including Spain, Italy and the United States, but the greatest supplier is the country of Thailand. There are a number of websites originating in Thailand that offer beautiful sterling silver gemstone jewelry at very reasonable prices, as well as American websites with competitive pricing also. There are also many sites that are helpful in ways to clean precious metal jewelry, but often differ in the advice give. Some recommend the commercial metal cleaners, while others advice to use only something like baking soda. With gemstones as part of the items being cleaned, it might be more advised to stay with something like baking soda.

Our young girls continued to stare at the pieces in the case. From across the store, the grandmother who had brought them watched as a spectator might carefully watch the movement of athletes on a field. One of the great joys of this woman's life was observing the stages of the granddaughters' life unfold. She was careful not to disturb the wondrous moment and at the very last moment, came up behind the two and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. The girls pointed out the necklaces and told the woman of their dreams. The grandma did the magical thing and bought a necklace for each of the girls, but said she would keep the fashion pieces at her house until they were old enough to take care of their possessions. When they arrived back home, she made the young ones sit down and write about the new items they now owned.

Sixteen years later, when both girls were engaged, the now aged woman pulled out the little box in which each necklace had been kept. Included in the box, folded up tightly were the letters the girls had written. The stories told of dreams in a future time now here. The girls wept at the amazing memory both had forgotten. Sterling silver gemstone jewelry was pinned to two wedding dresses that may have seemed out of place, but very much belonged.