The second most common metal used in jewelry making is silver. The various types of silver like oxidized silver and sterling silver have dedicated markets of their own, world wide. The versatility of this metal and its ability to last like a heirloom, makes the metal an all time favorite. Sterling silver jewelry is the next best investment for the common man after gold. The affordability and designs make the jewelry good investment. In fact, even as the metal tarnishes and oxidizes, it takes on a new look that is very ancient and original in appearance.

The black and dull metallic appearance looks great on ethnic attire and especially the colors black, white and red. Now, with hip hop bling being the in thing for teenagers, sterling silver jewelry has found a new market niche. The metal amply satisfies the urge to sport great jewelry such as eye brow rings and belly button rings that are very popular among the young enthusiasts.

Sterling silver is basically a metal with ninety two percent of silver. The high quality and the silver rich metal is thus naturally exposed to tarnishing and hence this type of jewelry demands a lot of maintenance. Routine cleaning ensures that the jewelry is kept looking new and shining.The cleaning process as applicable to this form of jewelry is directed towards maintaining the luster and shine associated with the metal. When buying sterling silver jewelry, which is definitely not very cheap, you should look for the stamp on the piece that specifies the purity or the word ‘sterling’ somewhere on the underside of the jewelry.

The tarnishing that this jewelry is susceptible to arises out of the fact that the essential oils from the body react with the metal. However, in the case of silver, unfortunately, all variants tarnish and so does sterling silver. This type of jewelry oxidizes i.e. it reacts with the oxygen in the air and loses the original shine.

There is a dedicated market of clientele and jewelry-designers world wide that caters to the demand for coated or protected sterling silver jewelry with rhodium that helps to prevent tarnishing. There are a number of specially created dips and polishes marketed that make the maintenance of sterling silver jewelry easier. They restore the original color to the jewelry in little or no time at all, fractions of seconds in fact!

The first recorded instance of class rings for a graduating class occurred at West Point in 1835. The tradition has spread, and now in the United States class rings are a common purchase by studetns, often times seen as almost an intregal part of tradition as the caps and gowns on graduation day. Class rings are a great way of not only having a living momento to your high school or college years, but also as a way to tie you to your fellow classmates, to increase that sense of comradery and belonging to something greater.

At one time class rings were genreally a single design made by the high school or college, and the only design chancge would be the graduation year, but today class rings are usually at least somewhat customized by each student. Because of this, there no longer really is a ”typical” class ring, though popular generalities still exist. Men’s rings are generally larger than women’s. The most popular color is gold, though that differs depending on the school and company providing the rings. Students have the option of ordering rings made of white gold, silver, or different alloys of other metals. The center stone is traditionally one of the school’s colors, but there are no guidelines for the size or cut of the stone, and that can easily be cusomized however a student wants.

The school’s name usually appears on the side, though the year of graduation is necessary on at least one side. This is, after all, the distinguishing mark that shows exactly where you belonged in the long history of whichever institution you attended. The school’s logo, motto, or insignia is also a common choice for design. Many students have their name, initials, or nickname engraved on the underside of the ring, underneath the stone, to mark it as their own. This further gives the personalized feeling to the ring, while still keeping you attatched to the larger whole. The ring belongs to you and you only, and yet the year of the class is there, the school emblem is there.