The purity of silver is not affected by the small amount of copper added to it. Hence it does not have a karat measure to determine its purity. Any item made from 'pure' silver has 92.5 per cent silver with 7.5 per cent copper added to it.

Such silver is known as sterling silver. Sterling artefacts or jewellery comes stamped with a quality mark such as 'sterling', 'ster' or '.925'. Ideally, such a quality mark / certificate is given by the makers.

Start to Finish

Silver jewellery, comes in a variety of finishes, so make your pick according to the occasion.

Says jewellery designer Poonam Soni, "Silver jewellery is of two types - antique and modern. Modern silver jewellery is great for daily wear. Animal pendants look great with a thin silver chain."

Antique silver, popularly known as oxidised  silver is a great way to accessorise when you dress up in ethnic style. Silver is chemically blackened or aged to give it an antique or oxidised look. This look can also be achieved with the kind of finish given to it after polishing.

Remember the huge oxidised kadas Rajasthani women wear as anklets? Well, they are among the coolest accessories during Navratri.

Modern silver jewellery is all about modern designs and a smooth, shiny finish. To give silver this effect, it is polished, which makes it brighter than platinum.

Floral and animal designs are popularly used in modern silver jewellery. Flowers are round and small and are often teamed with semi-precious gems. Butterflies, dragonflies and dolphins are some of the most popular animal designs.

Sterling silver is used in making modern silver jewellery Sterling silver jewellery looks good and can be used for everyday wear.