Sterling silver is a favorite medium for today's most creative and innovative designers due to its affordability and malleability.

Silver is an element that occurs naturally in the earth and is generally considered too soft in its pure form for practical use in jewelry. An alloy such as copper is usually added to make silver workable for jewelry.

Vermeil, pronounced "vermay," is a French word describing sterling silver that has been electroplated with at least 100 millionths of an inch of karat gold.

Silver jewelry pieces are priced based on their precious metal content, design and craftsmanship.

The beauty of sterling silver jewelry is part of this metal's ageless appeal. Properly caring for your silver collection is a sure way to keep sterling looking its shining best.

To avoid scratches, each piece should be stored individually, either in its own soft pouch or in a separate compartment in a jewelry box.

Keep your silver in a cool, dry place. If sterling does become tarnished, it is easily restored to its original gleam by using a paste, liquid polish, or one of our specially treated Hagerty polishing cloths intended for use on precious metals.

You may simply wash the jewelry or silver object with warm water, rubbing in a little soap, rinsing and then patting dry with a fine soft cloth.

Avoid using tissue paper or paper towels as they can scratch silver.

Do not wear sterling silver in chlorinated water or when working with household cleaners such as bleach or ammonia.