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Mined by pre-historic man, this metal is a lovely blue/white colour and a relatively inexpensive choice for an engagement ring. At Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery we work in Sterling silver which is at least 92.5% pure silver. Most imported metal (from places such as India) is far more impure than this and so very brittle. Many of the allergic reactions to silver jewellery can be put down to poor quality alloys imported from the Far East.

This metal is more prone to corrosion than gold, for example it will react with sea water, so is not really ideal for setting valuable stones. It’s also softer than the alloys used for gold and certainly platinum, so set stones may not be as well supported as they could otherwise be.

The word silver comes from the ancient Greek word meaning ‘white’ or ‘shining’ and so it is not a surprise to learn that it has been around for thousands of years as a material used in jewellery, coinage and more recently tableware.

Silver has many other uses than jewellery, its high electrical conductivity means it is used in electrical systems and when in a compound with nitrate is the principle ingredient of the photographic process.

It is mined all over the world and Peru is the country that is reputed to have the greatest amount available.

Silver is not an ideal choice for your engagement ring because of its lack of strength in holding a diamond or gemstone in place, although we can combine it with other metals to give the setting part of the design more strength.