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    At JSquared, high-quality sterling silver (also known as 925 silver)  is at the heart of virtually every piece of jewelry we create. 925 sterling silver is a terrific material to work with in jewelry making because of its beauty, durability, ease of handling and quality. 

    The backstory on silver

    Silver has a chemical formula (Ag), and it appears with white metallic luster. Its value stems from its ability to resist the corrosive effects of oxygen and moisture, and its ability to reflect light and appear white. Silver in nature comes in a combined form, usually with lead or copper. Any ore containing silver, the element is always a minor constituent of the ore typically silver might be 0.085%. All ores containing silver are mined either by open bit or the underground method then they are crushed and grounded to begin the extraction process. The method employed depends on the primary metal in the ore, whether it is lead, Zinc or copper.

    Where does silver come from?

    Silver is mined and produced all over the world, but the top producing countries include Mexico, Peru, China, Poland, Chile, Bolivia and Australia. The United States is also a top 10 producer of silver. NO silver is produced in Turks & Caicos.

    What is ‘925’ silver?

    We get asked all the time “what does 925 silver mean?” The 925 stands for 92.5% which is the overall percentage of pure silver it contains. The other 7.5%? It’s typically made up of other alloys, including copper, nickel and zinc. To clear up another bit of confusion, there is no difference between  ‘sterling silver’ and ‘925 silver’. In sterling silver jewelry, the 7.5% alloys are needed to help shape the silver easily for jewelry making. Pure 99.9% silver is simply too soft to be altered into various shapes for jewelry.

    We love the way 925 Silver makes the perfect precious metal for our enamel-poured collections like Turks in Turqs and Dawg Tag, and as the star of the show in our Conch-sciousness and I Left My Heart in Turks & Caicos collections!

    Is there a difference between 925 silver and Sterling silver?

    Nope.

    How can I maintain the lovely luster of my 925 silver Jewelry?

    We know some people that never remove their JSquared jewelry, but even then light, routine maintenance is easy. Here's a start:

    • Clean your jewelry with a dry soft cloth, before putting it back into an airtight container.
    • Store your sterling silver jewelry in a cool, dark place away from sources of sunlight, heat and moisture. 
    • Don’t leave silver jewelry in the bathroom unprotected, and do not wear it in the shower, swimming pool or hot tub. Humidity and moisture can make tarnish appear faster!
    • If the polishing cloth doesn’t remove all the tarnish, wash silver jewelry (without gemstones or pearls) in warm water with a few drops of mild dish washing liquid. Immerse the sterling silver in the water and gently hand wash. 
    • Thoroughly rinse your pieces after washing, and completely dry the sterling silver before storing, as moisture is one of the factors that contribute to tarnishing.
    • Never use toothpaste or baking soda for cleaning as it may scratch the surface of the silver. Also, don't use chemicals such as bleach, acetone, etc, to clean your silver because they can make silver more dull, and ruin the surface.

    Bonus - our JSquared jewelry is made of 925 silver and has rhodium plating, a member of the platinum group. The rhodium plating gives our jewelry the shine that we all love and it protects the silver from tarnishing.