Mens Silver Necklace Guide

At about 1/30th the price of gold, the element silver - denoted as "Ag" on the periodic table of elements - is both an economical and attractive option for jewelry. Since the "white gold" craze, more have been flocking to silver jewelry for its vastly lower cost and identical beauty.

Overall, silver is a lightweight, non-magnetic metal and is comfortable to wear as silver jewelry does not feel hot against your skin in high temperatures as much as other jewelry metals. This is mainly because commercial silver jewelry contains not only silver, but copper, gold, lead and/or zinc. Ironically, silver itself is the highest thermal conductor amongst all other metals.

Pure silver items such as pendants, pots, rings or intricate designs (even coins) are subject to silver oxidization, where its inset areas tend to turn visibly black. Just the oxidization process alone can make silver look extremely rich and well defined; but, silver can easily be polished to restore its original luster. Jewelry, especially silver chains, contain a plating to practically eliminate this effect.

Summary: Silver has become the new metal to invest in. Silver oxidizes, and worn jewelry made of silver should be polished on occasion to remove the oxidation appearance (unless you like that antique, rustic look).

The term sterling silver is frequently used when marketing silver necklaces and other pieces of jewelry. Basically, the term means that the silver jewelry contains an alloy (mixture) of about 92.5% silver, and the remainder, copper.

Another type of sterling known as Argentium sterling silver replaces some of that remaining 7.5% copper with germanium, a metal element similar to tin or silicon. Argentium sterling silver is highly resistant to both tarnish and "firescale," which is a purplish stain that silver tends to give off at high temperatures.

As a final touch to improve the look of a silver necklace or chain, jewelers commonly coat the chain with pure .999 silver plating to give it that shiny look. This process is also known as "flashing." In other cases, another common form of plating you might come across are silver chains that are plated with rhodium, which is a silvery, reflective anti-tarnish element.

Plating is actually a good thing - it keeps silver from tarnishing quicker than its un-plated counterpart. Un-plated silver tarnishes quickly, and requires constant polishing to restore its original luster.

Picture On Right: A non-plated nickel necklace

When you shop for a mens silver necklace, you'll most likely see the term "nickel free." Nickel is a hard, silvery and magnetic metal. Basically, cheap necklaces are made of nickel and are coated with thin layer of silver, to give the appearance that the entire chain itself is actually silver. However, the necklace is not to be considered "silver" whatsoever.

It's important to make sure that the "silver" necklace you're going for isn't actually made of nickel. Make sure that the necklace you're about to buy clearly advertises its stamp: typically a ".925"

Summary: If a necklace is advertised as "sterling silver" and appears to have a suspiciously low price, make sure the term "nickel free" is in its description. If not, be wary.

A warning: Silver plated necklaces, specifically of another metal that is plated with silver, will begin to wear down their plating and display their inner metal throughout time as the necklace is polished through the years. This is exactly why you should only consider a .925 genuine sterling silver necklace: it is silver inside and out.

Lightweight and comfortable to wear: quality, polished silver necklaces look identical to white gold to the untrained eye. They're available in a wide variety of styles that look drastically different when worn, especially with a pendant.

Silver chains are also purchased by length, and, of course, their price increases with longer chain lengths. There are also various clasps, which don't affect the wearing of the piece of jewelry in any way, but are purely part of one's preference.

Pictured: Silver chain (left), White Gold chain (right)

White gold is simply gold mixed with nickel (or in some cases,) palladium or manganese) and its purity is measured in karats, as are all gold products. While white gold is a mixture, it is also plated with rhodium in some cases. There is one fact you'll want to take note of: there is no such thing as 24k white gold, because white gold in and of itself is a mixture and pure gold only exists in its famous "yellow" color.

In essence, the choice between a silver necklace or a white gold necklace is purely one of preference or status symbol. In many cases, a .925 sterling silver necklace can cost as much as a 10k white gold necklace (note, this is a low karat as 10k = 41.6% gold) and look identical in color.

Also note that some people exhibit "gold allergies" with jewelry under 18k. This allergy is actually due to nickel, not gold, and can cause itching, rashes, swelling and burning.

Also, the higher the karat of white gold, the more "yellow" tinted it will appear. If you wish to own a white gold necklace that is silver in appearance, it will have to be a low karat - which in essence is a "cheaper" product. This is why rhodium plating has become so popular with white gold jewelry - it masks the "yellowness" and makes the jewelry appear more "silver," although the actual gold lies masked underneath the plating.

With that being said, silver is technically the better choice than white gold, as it has the same appearance and enjoyment at a fraction of the cost. You're mainly paying more for the simplicity of it being "gold" - the vastly more expensive metal on the market.

Pictured: Silver chain (left), Stainless Steel chain (right)

The second most common comparison that customers consider is to decide between a silver necklace or a stainless steel necklace. Stainless steel is a mixture of steel (which is mostly iron) and chromium, a high polishing metal that is popularly known as "chrome." It is not stain proof, but simply doesn't stain or corrode to the extent that pure steel does.

A separate type known as "surgical stainless steel" also includes nickel and molybdenum, but is not commonly used for jewelry.

Stainless steel necklaces are traditionally less expensive than silver necklaces as they are made of a less valuable material. Upon first glance, one can tell the difference between stainless steel and silver due to a considerable difference in the luster, shininess and "darker" luminance of steel. As with the decision between gold or silver, the decision between silver or stainless steel is also subjective and depends if the wearer would prefer something more rich looking (such as silver) or more shiny, polished and reflective (such as stainless steel). Stainless steel doesn't require regular polishing as silver does; however, polishing a silver necklace is barely a chore that takes more than a minute.

Summary: Stainless steel is visibly "darker" than silver, and has a high gloss finish. It is considerably less expensive than silver.

The image to your right is an actual, real-life size millimeter ruler. All necklaces are not only sold by their length in inches, but also their width in millimeters.

For example, you can see a 5mm wide silver chain pictured above the ruler. As with necklace length, width is a major determinant of the price of a necklace. Generally, you'll find the greater width chains (usually 8 mm and up) to significantly increase the price tag on a sterling silver mens necklace.