WHAT’S YOUR JEWELRY?
Jewelry is a woman’s weakness. Period. But wearing only gold and diamonds makes it dull. Besides, not all women like wearing conventional jewelry. For them and for those looking for a break from the yellow metal, Khushboo Shroff has a trendy alternative – Sterling Silver and Shellac jewelry.
Sterling Silver
Kalpana Sheth has a party to attend. Alike most of us, she too is confused about the apt jewelry to be adorned. After a bit of research through phone calls with friends, she zeros in on Sterling Silver jewelry. Good choice!
Sterling silver has geared pace and has now become a hit among the lot who make fashion statements. Many Hollywood luminaries like Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon and Drew Barrymore have also embraced sterling silver. Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Hilary Duff are among the few others, who have been spotted adorning charm bracelets.
WHAT IS STERLING SILVER?
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver .It contains 92.5% of silver (by weight) and 7.5% by weight of other metals (usually copper). The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. Copper is added to silver in order to increase its strength. Copper also helps in preserving the ductility and enhancing the beauty of silver metal.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF STERLING SILVER?
Sterling silver jewelry is available in all shapes and sizes. Its cost ranges from a few thousands to even lakhs! It is very durable and very apt for people with active lifestyle. Sterling silver jewelry can complement any skin type. Sterling silver jewelry is also believed to relieve many health issues arising due to specific metal allergies
A lot of people with sensitive ears can only wear real gold pierced earrings without an allergic reaction. However, many of these people have also found that they can also wear sterling silver earrings
Any time the metal touches the skin, people who have metal allergies need to be careful. In most cases sterling silver findings are perfectly non-reactive.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF STERLING SILVER JEWELRY?
1 Polishing cloths are excellent for cleaning your jewelry pieces.
2. Store your jewelry in tarnish prevention bags. This slows down the tarnishing process. If possible store your jewelry in cool, dry place.
3. Sterling silver jewelry, when worn continuously, develops a lovely patina, a kind of glow combined with darkened areas. If you like the look, leave it alone. However, if you prefer a bright and shiny look for your sterling silver then use a polish cloth to restore the jewelry to its original appearance.
4 Use a mild cleaning agent. Products like alcohol, acetone, bleach, ammonia, etc make cause severe Damage to the jewelry
LATEST FASHION TRENDS IN STERLING SILVER JEWELRY
1 Many Hollywood luminaries were observed to have worn the “Dove of Peace” pin in the Oscar event of the year 2004.This pin has now become and epitome of peace and commitment.
Dali Lama and Nobel Peace Laureates Oscar Aria Sanchez, Betty Williams, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, and former UN Assistant Secretary-General Gillian Sorrensom have also spotted wearing this pin.
2. Charm bracelets are also a big among women. Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Avril Levigne and Hilary Duff also adorn their wrists in silver bracelets with the hip L.A. brand "Eldorado Club."
3. The ever classic hoop earrings and hair ornaments are also in vogue
Sterling silver is a must in every woman’s wardrobe. But all this sheen and shine may not go well on all occasions or outfits. Also, even if you are addicted to sterling silver, you may want to take a break at times. So, there has to be an equally fitting something to keep you going during your non-sterling silver moments. And it can be none other than Shellac. This jewellery is your colourful getaway if you are addicted to the glittering sterling or gold. Shellac jewelry mostly comes in matt finish and goes well for casual as well as formal occasions.
SHELLAC JEWELRY
Indian jewelry is well known for its intricate design and wonderful craftsmanship .Indian jewelry is not only confined to precious metals like gold and silver but also includes semi precious metals and shellac! The latest entrant is the fashion market is shellac jewelry. Shellac (obtained from the scales of insect Laccifera lacca) is used extensively for making jewelry. Shellac jewelry includes jewels like brooches, armlets, arm bands, hair clips, bangles, bracelets, etc.
The best feature about Shellac jewelry is that it suites most of the people and its use is not even confined to women. A lot of men have also been noticed to adorn this bit of jewelry.
Of late contemporary shellac jewelry has gained grounds. Contemporary shellac jewelry is made from horns and bones of animals. Shellac jewelry is also made using the metals like silver gold. It is also embedded with gem stones. The jewelry pieces are available in a variety of colours and their prices range from a few hundreds to thousands.
Shellac bangles have acclaimed international recognition for their vibrant colours. It features in the top 10 list of most wanted jewelry of U.K! These may be plain or may be inlaid with mirror work and beads. The designs of shellac jewelry vary from place to place. However, Udaipur is considered to be the centre of jewelry making.
“We have lots of tourists, coming each year, to buy shellac jewelry .They are really fond of the brightly coloured bangles” says Bhairon Singh, a craftsman from Udaipur. Shellac bangles are made from lac dust and are also known as “ruli”. Wearing shellac bangles is considered highly auspicious too. Wearing shellac bangles is now fashionable.
Go get decked up! The party’s on!
