Silver.Ag: A Brief Look At A Silver Ring
Silver is a precious metal and has been accepted as a valid means of payment throughout the history of trading. As there is no significant risk of provoking an allergic reaction, a silver ring or another item of personal jewelry may safely be given to small children with little risk of adverse reaction.
The symbol used for silver [Ag] comes from classical Latin “argentum” and translated directly means “shining”. Silver is a soft, malleable metal, which means that it is often blended with other metals to ensure it maintains its shape.
The Stock Exchange value of silver has fluctuated significantly over the years. In 1980 it almost reached $50/Troy ounce, but by comparison “bottomed out” at just over $4/Troy ounce in 1996. Currently (May 2010) it is trading at about $18/Troy ounce.
Because silver is such a malleable metal it has always been popular as a material suitable for making jewellery, a delicate silver ring can be forged from extruded silver wire, sometimes with a diameter which approaches that of human hair but retaining the durability of any metal.. Because of its purity, silver is also popular with musicians: an instrument made of silver – such as a bell, or a trumpet – can be depended upon to “ring true”.
Silver is also very easy to keep clean and sterile. This makes it a safe and logical choice as an ideal material for body piercings e. G. ‘droplet’ style rings for pierced ears.
Many more types of jewellery are traditionally cast in silver, amongst them the claddagh ring in Ireland. It is the custom for families to have a claddagh ring which is passed on to the first male child born in each generation.
There is one drawback to this tradition which is an inevitable consequence of silver’s relative softness compared with other metals. The ring will be subject to frequent repairs when it is passed on, because the recipient’s finger will very often be one or more sizes smaller than the fingers of the person he inherits the ring from.
A further advantage of the ease with which silver remains sterile is its use in medical applications, where good hygiene is essential. Dentistry is the most important example, as silver is almost eighty times cheaper to use as a filling than gold.
Author is sterling silver rings expert with nearly two decades experience in jewelry business. The company, he works for: Silver.Ag is one the biggest eshops on the world, with over 114.000 pcs of jewelry physically in stock.