When choosing jewelry, it is important to understand what you're buying.
While stainless steel and sterling silver jewelry can look similar, they are vastly different metals that each have their strengths and weaknesses. Do you know which you prefer and why?
If not, don't fret! This guide will dive into what stainless steel and sterling silver are, their pros and cons, and which one is better.
Stainless steel is an iron and chromium alloy that is often used in jewelry. While some grades have additional metals, which can cause irritation, the stainless steel we use in our jewelry is hypoallergenic.
You may be surprised to learn than many of our most popular necklaces are made with stainless steel chain, including the Danielle, Robbie, Eliza (pictured at top) and Ebba.
We love stainless steel for a number of reasons, including its:
While stainless steel is widely used in the jewelry industry, there are a few downsides to using it. No metal is perfect!
The negatives include:
Sterling silver, like its friends gold and platinum, is a precious metal.
Often stamped with a 925 to signify its composition, sterling silver is composed of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper alloy. In comparison to pure silver, which is too soft to be used in jewelry, sterling silver is loved for its beauty and versatility.
Sterling silver is another one of our favourite metals to work with and for good reason.
The positive qualities of sterling silver include:
While sterling silver is widely loved, there are a few downsides including:
Well, that depends. Neither stainless steel or sterling silver is inherently better. It all comes down to your personal preferences, the amount of maintenance you're willing to invest, your budget, and the style of jewelry you like. There is no wrong answer!
Luckily for you, you are already in the right place! We use stainless steel and sterling silver in many of our statement necklaces, bracelets and earrings. In some case, we use both in one piece, like the Carol, Alexandra, Kim (pictured below) and Lily Necklaces.
If you are looking to have a custom piece of statement jewelry created, please email us at info@carolily.com to book a consultation.
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Through the ages, pearls have been synonymous with luxury, beauty and prestige. Nowadays, jewelry houses, such as ours, are able to offer stunning pearl jewelry at an attainable price point and in a wide variety of styles.
Pearls have been at the forefront of our designs since our inception and for good reason. If you have been wondering where to purchase real pearl jewelry, you have come to the right place!