 "Ode to Spring" - Czech Glass, Swarovski, Ceramic, Antique Afghani Charms, & Sterling Silver - NO LONGER AVAILABLE  Antique Afghani Charms, Glass, & Sterling Silver - NO LONGER AVAILABLE  Antique Afghani Charms & Sterling Silver Bail - NO LONGER AVAILABLE These beautiful charms are from Afghanistan. They are antique. At 200 or more years old, they are a piece of history. To bring back their original beauty, these pieces have had a new layer of Sterling Silver applied. The original pieces had a Sterling Silver content of 50% - 85%. That is quite different than the 92.5% Sterling pieces of today. Why the difference? The .925 Sterling of today is a combination of Sterling with a small amount of other metal(s), usually Copper. Solid Sterling Silver is very soft. The Copper is added to make the Sterling a bit harder. Designers and craftspeople are able to use the .925 Silver to make more intricate designs that will hold their shape. It is the addition of this Copper that makes Sterling Silver tarnish. The Copper tarnishes when it reacts to moisture and Sulfur in the air. It was this tarnish that the original owners of these pieces were coveting, Real Sterling Silver pieces tarnish. Plated pieces do not. The higher quantity of Copper means these pieces tarnish much faster than the jewelry of today. Reaching beyond the science of it all, wearing these pieces connects you to history in a very real and physical way. I like to imagine who wore these pieces first. A young woman bejeweled from head to toe on her wedding day. A tribal elder's wife proudly displaying her husband's wealth as she strolled through the market. A little girl excitedly trying on Mommy's best jewelry for the first time. Let your jewelry be your guide for a trip through history.
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