Sterling Silver Rings, are made of pure silver that has been blended with other metals for strength. The blend is known as Sterling Silver.  Pure silver is too soft to be made into rings.

Copper, is the most common metal mixed with the silver metal to increase strength and durability. The mixture, or alloy is known as sterling silver. The standard in the United States is 92.5 percent silver, and 7.5 percent of other metals for the legal designation of Sterling Silver. This is the reason that all sterling silver rings and jewelry are stamped with .925, to denote that the required silver content is present.Sterling silver and silver jewelry stamped with .925 are made of the same material. In the United States there is a law that requires that all jewelry made from precious metals be stamped with the true metal content. It would take up too much space in a ring to stamp it Sterling Silver, so .925 is normally used.

When sterling silver jewelry is brand new with a high polish it can look like white gold. However the characteristics of silver are not the same as white gold. Sterling silver is a material that is more subject to wear and tear than white gold. Over time many tiny scratches occur and the high polish finish will become dull.

Sterling silver, as well as white or yellow gold, is affected by common chemicals such as water which might contain chlorine, household cleaners, skin oils and acids. These exposures will dull sterling silver faster than gold. It is possible to polish silver, but it is hard to totally restore the original finish. It is a common finishing method for sterling silver rings not to be as highly polished as white gold rings. In many of the Asian countries the metal is actually dulled, instead of being highly polished.

However the cost is a big factor in the choice of sterling silver when compared to white gold. Pure silver in commercial quantities sells for about $20.00 to $24.00 per ounce. Pure gold, (24 Karat) sold for about $900.00 to $1000.00 per ounce on Feburary 24, 2008. There have been extreme fluctuations in the price of gold. Most gold jewelry is either 12 Karat, or 14 Karat and therefore the cost of the alloyed gold is about half the cost of pure gold, in the range of $450.00 to $500.00 per ounce. The market price of both gold and silver have been on a steady rise. In 2001 gold was selling for about $240.00 per ounce. Many in the gold industry believed that gold could rise to $800.00 to $1000.00 per ounce in the next few years. The price movement of silver approximates follows the trend in the price of gold. Therefore a simple silver band that retailed for $12.00 in December of 2005 maybe selling for $15.00 to $25.00 within a few years. There have been significant price movements over the last twenty years. No one can predict with certainty how the prices of precious metals will change in the future. In very general terms the cost of the raw silver in a medium weight ring might be in the range of $3.00 to $6.00, while the cost of the metal in the same ring made of white gold would be about $300.00 to $400.00. Most jewelry is made from metal that has been milled into tiny balls. The metal melts much easier in this form. This is the actual material normally melted to produce settings or castings. When the castings are poured these is a large amount of metal that is trimmed from the semi finished setting. The metal must be recycled and prepare for further use. The cost of fabrication in preparation for melting for casting further raises the cost of the precious metal prior to fabrication. In either case there are many costs in manufacturing jewelry, including labor, shop costs,and stones in addition to the cost of the raw metal. The much higher cost of white gold creates a dilemma. How expensive should the stones be in a silver ring? If a sterling silver ring, sells for about $12.00 to $75.00 would it make any sense to set a very expensive gem stone in a ring raising the cost substantially? For this reason less expensive stones are often set into sterling silver jewelry, than would be used in white gold jewelry, thus keeping the price affordable.You may have noticed that the television shopping channels are now featuring more sterling silver rings as the price of gold continues to rise.

The combination of less expense metal, and "commercial" quality stones lets us offer sterling silver rings for about $12.00 to $30.00, while a similar ring made from white gold with better stones would sell for about $400.00 to $500.00 or more. We know that some discount stores do offer some gold rings for under $200.00, but the weight of the gold mountings is very light and thin. Some stores my also be selling the less expensive 8 or 9 Karat gold which is not legal in the United States. Many of our sterling silver rings have heavier mountings than highly discounted priced gold rings.

Update note:

During the month of September 2006 the prices of both gold and silver have been very volatile. The spot price for silver has been jumping between about $16.00 and $18.00 per troy ounce. Gold has also seem changes, in the range of $900.00 to $980.00 per troy ounce. Financial experts claim that these precious metals are moving, or being moved by the major decline in crude oil. During September crude oil has dropped about 20%. It may seem hard to believe that relationship exists. In Asia and other parts of the world simple jewelry made of gold or silver sells for little more than the cost of the actual metal. People actually wear their wealth on their hands and around their necks.