Silver Jewelry: The Perfect Gift for Mothers Day

What are you getting Mom for Mothers Day this year? Chances are she has plenty of sweaters and is running out of shelf space for all those potted plants. This year, why not get your mother something special she’ll wear every day and treasure forever -- .925 fine sterling silver jewelry. Silver rings, silver pendants, silver chains and silver earrings all make wonderful gifts for mothers of all ages. Which of these silver jewelry gifts would your mom love?

Silver Jewelry for the Classic Mom

Is your mother’s style classic? Does she love dress for success? Consider a pair of discreet silver hoop earrings or beautifully engraved handmade silver button earrings to accent her business suits and Continental style. Other silver accents the classic mom will love include silver tennis bracelets, delicate silver bracelets inset with one or two channels of gemstones. Birthstone silver bracelets are especially popular with younger moms, and silver bracelets inset with the birthstones of each of her children carry a sentimental meaning that will make the gift even more special.

Romantic Silver Jewelry for the Mom Who Loves Ruffles and Lace

Filigree jewelry is dainty and elegant. If your mom is the romantic type who loves to wear lace and ruffles, consider filigree silver rings or pendants that will accent her favorite style. Romantic silver pendants include silver lockets – with a picture of her grandbabies, of course! You can also choose a delicately engraved silver comb or silver barrette
to catch her hair in a pretty upswept style, or a set of fine silver bangle bracelets designed to be worn together with a pretty sweater.

Sporty Silver Jewelry for the Athletic Mom

Is your mom the first one on the tennis court or up early to swim laps every morning? Choose practical and elegant silver jewelry to set off her comfortable and stylish aesthetic. Silver tennis bracelets are the ideal gift for a sporty mom. Avoid fussy details and go for solid silver chains with sturdy clasps that won’t let go on the court or during her morning run.

Handmade Silver Jewelry for the Indie Mom

Is your mom an independent spirit? Is she the cool mom in the neighborhood – the one that all your friends love to hang out with? Salute her independent style with handmade silver jewelry created by artisans who create one-of-a-kind pieces. And do make sure she knows that your gift of silver jewelry is a handcrafted piece created by an independent artisan – she’ll treasure it all the more and congratulate herself on raising such an aware child.

Give mom a gift she’ll wear often and enjoy for the rest of her life. Silver jewelry is easy to care for and delightful to wear. Pick a piece of silver jewelry that fits her style and watch her face light up.

Handmade Silver Jewelry Becomes a Family Heirloom

If you’re seeking the ideal gift for a special occasion, handmade silver jewelry may be the perfect solution. Silver jewelry is one of those very special gifts that is often treasured for life and handed down from mother to daughter and father to son. Silver pendants, lockets and engraved silver bracelets often carry deep sentimental meanings, especially if they were given as a gift on a special occasion. Consider these traditional silver gifts for these occasions.

Silver Jewelry for Baby

Silver is a traditional gift for new babies and their parents. You’ll find many types of silver gifts for the newborn market, including sterling silver baby spoons and engraved silver baby dishes or picture frames. Take tradition a step further with silver jewelry designed especially for a precious new life. Tiny silver hoops or silver earrings are the ideal choice for baby’s first earrings because they’re unlikely to cause allergic reactions. Beaded silver bracelets that spell out the baby’s name are a precious reminder, especially in these days when the traditional beaded hospital bracelets have been replaced by plastic bands. Whether you choose an engraved silver bracelet or a silver ring, any gift of jewelry given to a newborn can be tucked away to become a family heirloom to be worn on other special occasions throughout life.

Silver Pendants to Mark Landmark Occasions

Silver pendants are among the most versatile of all silver jewelry gifts. A silver cross pendant is the ideal memento for a First Communion or Confirmation, for example, while delicate sterling silver pendants in the shape of the Star of David will be a treasured remembrance as a Bat Mitzvah gift. Silver pendants aren’t confined to the feminine, however. Silver lends itself to stronger, more rugged treatments for young men as well.

Silver Bracelets for Boys and Girls

ID bracelets and tennis bracelets are popular traditional gifts for special birthdays – the thirteenth, the sixteenth or the eighteenth, for example. Silver bracelets set with a row of birthstones will be treasured by any young girl, and boys love thick silver chains and engraved nametag bracelets. Silver bangles and slim silver chains never go out of style with young women.

If you’re stuck for the perfect special occasion gift for a young boy or girl, take a look at the many types of silver jewelry available on a website that specializes in handmade silver jewelry for special occasions. You’re sure to find a gift that’s destined to become a family heirloom.

Creating Handmade Silver Jewelry

Making silver jewelry is an art. It is also hard work! Metalwork is not only strenuous, it can be dangerous as well. This type of work requires knowledge of the medium - in this case, the sterling silver metal - and also the tools used to form the raw material into an attractive, wearable object.
Most people don't think of what had to be done to create their favorite piece of handmade silver jewelry. The tools most commonly used to accomplish this are specialty pliers, hammers, a jeweler's saw, metal shears, files, punches and stamps. Of course there are other tools used also ... many pieces require parts to be joined, and in most instances this requires a torch.

Silver can be manipulated by using the tools mentioned above. Compared to iron, steel and many other metal alloys, silver is relatively soft. A flat silver disk can be transformed into a bowl by using simple tools - hammers and stakes. Stakes are rod like steel tools that are secured in a holder or a vise; they have heads that are shaped in different ways; square, oval and round are common, but there are many more. The disk is placed over the stake and struck repeatedly with hammers, moving the disc around to form it over the stake - in the example of a bowl, into a concave shape. The same process can be used to transform a strip of sterling silver into a cuff bracelet or collar!

Most silver rings are a great example of a jewelry object that is made up of several component parts. The setting for a gemstone ring - sometimes called a "head" - is usually a separate component that is attached to a ring shank, the band that goes around a finger. In the example on the left, the ring setting is made of four parts. Bezel wire is wrapped around the set object (blue sea glass) and soldered closed. A wire shelf is soldered inside as a platform for the glass to sit on. Then this assembly was soldered to a backing plate. And finally the ring shank was soldered to the back of the setting. After the ring was completed, the glass was set by burnishing the edge of the bezel over the glass. A simple ring like this one takes a couple of hours to make. For a more complicated design more time will be needed to design and create the finished ring. Many times the setting itself is made of several parts.

A handmade gemstone ring setting may be made with a bezel, formed from thin strip that is wrapped around a stone then soldered into a loop the stone fits into.

The bezel is soldered down to a backing plate. Sometimes a decorative element surrounds the bezel - it could be a twisted or bead wire ring. After this assembly is finished, the ring shank is soldered to the back to complete the ring. The opal ring on the right features a serrated bezel and a twist wire border, with a fancy decorative ring shank. It was made in a similar manner to the ring with the sea glass cabochon but there are several steps added - the decorative border and the oxidized finish, or darkened patina - which makes the pattern in the shank more prominent.

So the next time you are considering a handmade jewelry purchase, consider the work that went into the piece. You'll appreciate it more, and you'll find yourself wearing handmade jewelry often!