I do hope you are enjoying your visit with us at Luvitjewelry, we have tried to make this an interesting site where you can go through our very large range of sterling silver jewelry also gold and white gold jewelry and other accessories.  It is fun to mix and match to see how you can create a bright new look either with a new outfit or liven up an old one. Put on some earrings, necklace and bracelet or rings and you will feel like a new person.

TIP: When you are mixing and matching as you browse through the categories just put anything your interested in in the shopping cart - you may have 10 lots of earrings in the cart - at any time you can view them to see which ones you really want by clicking on the Cart Contents tab. You may only want two of them so just remove the others. To remove items from the cart click on the Update button and then on the small square to the upper left of the item photo, click Update again and the item will be removed.

Information on Stones and Metals and Care

Silver | Silver Care |   Gold |  Gold Care |   Gemstones |  Gem Care |

Silver: is such a lovely lustrous white metal and next to gold it is the most malleable and ductile of metals.  Because of silvers beauty and availability it has had for thousands of years both practical and ornamental uses. Silver is responsive and yielding but firm enough to hold its own.  For most practical purposes in jewelry making it is too soft. In order to make it harder and to wear better it is usually combined with copper.  When the ratio between silver and copper is 925:75 it is called Sterling Silver.  This proportion is regulated by law. The very small amount of copper that is present in sterling doubles the tensile strength of the metal.   During the 18th and 19th century most of the worlds coins were struck of copper, bronze, gold or silver.  Today because it has the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of the metals it is used not so much in coinage but in photography, dental and soldering alloys, electrical contacts, printed circuits and of course in Silver jewelry. With jewelry its lustrous white color adds a complementary fresh light to the complexion of the wearer.  You will notice that our sterling silver jewelry is all marked 925 to assure silver content.

Taking Care of Your Silver Jewelry - The pieces that you wear frequently need very little care, but if the sterling is stored for a length of time it may need polishing occasionally because silver reacts with sulfur in the air which causes it to tarnish. There is sulfur in egg, so if you spill egg on your silver necklace it may discolor the silver. Any discoloration or tarnish can be removed with a silver polish found in the hardware store or a silver cloth from the supermarket.  Always read the instructions before use and rinse the jewelry well with water (preferably filtered) and a little mild dish washing soap, rinse again in clear water and dry well with a soft cloth.

For sterling silver chains and other solid sterling jewelry that does not have stones in it, here is the easiest and best way to make it shine and gleam.  Take a heat resistant  glass bowl, line it with aluminium foil (kitchen foil) place your sterling silver on top of the foil.  Sprinkle with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Depending on how much you are cleaning  - about a tablespoon full. Now pour boiling water over this and it will bubble up.  Just leave it for about 10 minutes. Remove the jewelry and rinse it with clean preferably filtered water, lay it on a soft cloth and allow to dry. You now have sparkling chains etc. All between the links will be nice and clean,  Simple, economical and no harsh chemicals.

Store jewelry separately in plastic pouches or soft cloth bags or original boxes to keep them from being scratched by contact with other items and to protect them from exposure to harsh daily elements.  Silver can be damaged by exposure to common cleaning solutions such as bleach, ammonia, or chlorinated water.  Best advice is to be radiant and wear it often.

Some Gold Facts - Products made from gold are marked to show how much actual gold is contained in the product.  Much of the jewelry manufactured before the 20th century do not have these marks and must be tested to determine purity. Items marked 24K are 100% pure gold. Pure 24K gold is soft and easily bent and damaged.

Items marked 18K or 750 have 750 parts gold out of 1000, or 75% pure gold.

Items marked 14K or 585 have 585 parts out of 1000, or 58.5% pure gold. This gives strength to the mix.

Items marked 10K or 417 have 417 parts out of 100, or 41.7 pure gold. In the United States and other countries this is the legal limit for an item to still be considered real gold.

CARE: to clean gold jewelry, use a very soft bristle brush with a solution of clean water and a mild dish washing soap, rinse and dry well with a soft cloth.  Do not use harsh chemicals. Never boil gold, and avoid using ammonia, toothpaste, a powder cleanser or scouring pads. Keep gold away from chlorine, lotions, cosmetics and perm solutions, since these products may discolor or dissolve gold alloys. any of these may reduce the gold's luster. Store gold pieces separately in soft cloth bags or original boxes to keep them from being scratched by other items and to protect them from exposure to harsh daily elements.

Semi-Precious Jewelry - is any gemstones valued for their beauty but which are not one of the 'precious stones', (emerald, diamond, ruby or sapphire). Some examples of semi-precious stones are amethyst, aventurine, carnelian, garnet, opal, peridot, rose quartz, and there are many more.

A semi-precious stone is the naturally occurring crystalline form of the mineral which is desirable for its beauty and is used in jewelry. All of our jewelry items use high quality gems and are available in sterling silver and other mediums many are handcrafted.  Choose your sterling jewelry and the semi-precious stone of your choice. Available semi-precious stones are, Agates, Amethyst, Aventurine, Carnelian, Citrine, Fluorite, Garnet, Hematite, Jade, Jasper, Malachite, Obsidian, Onyx, Tiger's eye and Turquoise. These semi-precious stones come in facet settings as well as cabochon settings. Some of the semi-precious stones also come in a variety of colors. The jewelry items available are necklaces, pendants, pins, rings, and earrings. Semi-precious gemstones are valuable for their rarity, and are durable enough to be enjoyed for generations.

CARE: Gemstones are very durable but still need some care.  As mentioned above, like silver and gold, store your pieces separately so that they do not scratch each other.   Some gemstones tend to absorb chemicals and moisture so it is a good idea not to soak them.  To clean them use a soft damp cloth and wipe them.  If dirt has built up around the setting or behind the gemstone use a damp soft brush to clean it out.  It is probably safer not to use an ultrasonic cleaner for gemstones or at least seek professional advice before you put your gemstones in to be cleaned.

Note regarding Pearls - never put them into jewelry cleaner unless specifically specified for pearls. They will loose their lustre.

So enjoy your silver, gold and gemstone jewelry and accessories whether it is on your toes or in your hair it will do its part to enhance your image.

Click for more Sterling Silver and more detailed information on gemstones, also Anniversary and Birth Stone lists.

For an even wider range of jewelry information go to Jewelry Information