| It takes many years of experience in trading | | | | Sterling silver jewelry usually has natural or |
| sterling silver jewelry to tell whether a piece of | | | | synthetic stones set on it. The cutting of the |
| jewelry is of high quality or not. Especially when | | | | stones, even with the same size, might affect the |
| you are buying wholesale silver jewelry, a minor | | | | cost. For instance, the synthetic diamond cubic |
| difference in the quality might affect your | | | | zirconia stones would cost more if they are in |
| business reputation in the long run. This article | | | | princess cut as suppose to round brilliant cut. |
| summarizes the basic metrics for anyone who is | | | | Furthermore, emerald cut and baguette cut |
| beginning to trade silver jewelry to gauge the | | | | stones are even more expensive than princess |
| quality of silver jewelry.Finishing | | | | cut ones.Stone setting |
| Most of the sterling silver jewelry has some sort | | | | 1. The way that stones are set on a piece of |
| of plating because silver itself turns yellow over | | | | jewelry also affects the cost. Many pendant and |
| time. There are several ways of finishing a piece | | | | bracelet styles employ an economical setting |
| of silver jewelry and they will affect the cost of | | | | method called wax setting. The stones are not |
| the jewelry substantially.1. High polished sterling | | | | really set one by one on the jewelry. Rather, |
| silver jewelry has no plating on the jewelry at all | | | | they are fixed on the mold before the jewelry is |
| and is particularly popular with engravable items or | | | | cast out from the melted silver and come out of |
| for people who are allergic to certain metals such | | | | the mold together with the silver. This lowers the |
| as nickel. The jewelry is polished by machine | | | | cost of the silver jewelry significantly. However, |
| without additional raw material cost.2. Some silver | | | | the quality of the setting is not consistent and the |
| jewelry has a black antique look to cater to | | | | heat of the silver in liquid form might affect the |
| certain consumers. These items are processed by | | | | quality of the stones.2. Besides wax setting, there |
| putting the jewelry into chemical solution to oxide | | | | are several hand-setting methods that are widely |
| the silver before polishing and the pricing is similar | | | | adopted. The most common one is prong setting, |
| to that of high polished ones.3. Another common | | | | where the stones are held in place by three to |
| way of finishing sterling silver jewelry is nickel | | | | eight prongs, depending on the style. More |
| plating. Although nickel plating is illegal in some | | | | advanced settings include channel setting, bezel |
| countries, most of the Italian silver jewelry sold in | | | | setting, pave setting and invisible setting. |
| the market today is plated with nickel. However, | | | | Understanding the labor costs involved in different |
| since nickel is not considered as precious metal, | | | | kinds of settings is one of the keys to getting |
| the price is usually not affected by the cost of | | | | merchandize with the best prices.Stamping and |
| plating.4. The most expensive way of finishing | | | | Casting |
| sterling silver jewelry is using Rhodium. Rhodium is | | | | Another categorization for sterling silver jewelry |
| a precious metal that is even more expensive | | | | is the way they manufacture the metal part. To |
| than silver. Therefore, silver jewelry with Rhodium | | | | save cost, some jewelry is made by stamping |
| plating is usually at least five cent more expensive | | | | and cutting the needed shapes out from a large |
| per gram. Since Rhodium has the property of | | | | sheet of silver and than bend it into the desired |
| being highly tarnish resistant and very expensive | | | | shapes. On the other hand, a more traditional way |
| at the same time, some manufacturers would | | | | of producing sterling silver jewelry is to cast the |
| coat the sterling silver jewelry with a thin layer of | | | | metal out of a mold, which is more labor intensive |
| copper before plating the Rhodium to reduce the | | | | and hence more costly due to the polishing and |
| cost. It might be a good idea to ask the vendors | | | | filing required afterwards. The way the jewelry is |
| if the Rhodium is plated directly or not because | | | | made affects the durability a great deal and |
| some people have skin type that would turn the | | | | hence the success of your business. |
| copper underneath green.Stone cutting | | | | |