The Pros And Cons Of Sterling Silver Skull Rings

Skull-shaped jewelry and rings have been popular for hundreds of years. In fact, they were once worn as talismans to protect against evil and illness. Sometimes they were worn to remind the wearer of their mortality. This iconic design is still in high demand today. One of the most popular material options for skull rings is sterling silver. Here are a few of the pros and cons of wearing a sterling silver skull ring.

PROS

High-Quality

Sterling silver is a high-quality silver alloy, meaning other metals have been added to strengthen the silver but silver is still the metal with the highest percentage by weight. In fact, sterling silver is sometimes called 925 Silver because it contains 92.5% pure silver by weight. That makes it a high-quality metal.

Less Maintenance

The metal alloys added to sterling silver are intended to strengthen the silver because it's naturally a rather soft metal, but they also help reduce tarnishing. This makes it ideal for jewelry because the exposure to air, in addition to contact with skin oils, makes sterling silver less likely to tarnish than pure silver. This means that you won't have to polish your skull rings frequently, especially if you wear your ring regularly.

Affordable

Another major advantage of choosing a sterling silver skull ring is that the metal alloy is a much more affordable material than other precious metals like gold, white gold, or platinum.

Details

You want all the details of your skull ring to stand out: cheekbones, sockets, nose holes, jawbone, etc. Sterling silver is a very malleable metal and that makes it ideal for shaping. Jewelers can easily create the iconic features of your skull ring and may even be able to provide a custom design fairly simply.

CONS

Softness

Even though sterling silver has added alloys for strength, it's still a very soft metal and that means it's susceptible to scratches. When you wear your skull ring every day, you may start to notice little nicks and bumps on the ring. However, for many wearers, this just adds to the mystique.

Tarnishing

Even though it won't tarnish as quickly as some other metals, your sterling silver skull ring may still tarnish when left in a drawer. Although some like the aged look that a little tarnish can provide, others may prefer a shiny specimen. Fortunately, it's very easy to polish sterling silver with everyday products around the house like baking soda, vinegar, and aluminum foil.

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