Unique handmade silver jewellery from Lapland

Jewellery made from precious metals and natural materials are important accessories in today’s fashion. At Lovefromlapland, we value good craftsmanship, and the sense of history it brings to every handmade piece of silver jewellery. Every ring, bracelet, necklace, or earring has been carefully designed and crafted by experienced craftspeople in the north. Having a handmade piece of silver jewellery symbolising our Arctic way of life is priceless.

Silversmithing in Lapland

Nowadays more and more people are learning the noble art of making jewellery with precious metals and gemstones, and women especially have risen to the task, and are making names for themselves in the business, which we think is great! There are comparatively few places to study silversmithing in Sweden, but we are lucky enough to have one of these schools located in the most northern parts of Lapland, in the small village of Lannavaara, 130 km above the Arctic Circle. Another way of learning the craft, is by doing a long apprenticeship at the workshop of a skilled silver or goldsmith.

STERLINGSILVER 925

Silver jewellery is mostly made with Sterlingsilver 925. This means the material contains 925 thousandths of silver. The remaining material is mainly made up of copper, and a tiny bit of zinc. The reason you mix silver with small amounts of other metals, is because silver on its own is too soft and malleable to make long lasting, strong pieces of jewellery. Adding small parts of other metals makes the silver more durable and steadfast. A side effect of adding copper and zinc to the mix, is that the silver will oxidise. Oxidation is what gives silver jewellery its patina with age. It’s a natural process that happens when the silver gets in contact with sulphur, which can be found all around us in everyday life. To keep your silver jewellery from oxidising, you should follow the instructions below.

CARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR SILVER JEWELLERY

- Silver jewellery are best looked after by using them. When not in use, you can contain them in an airtight plastic bag. A tip is to get an impregnated polishing cloth to store together with your silver jewellery inside the bag. The polishing cloth will absorb any sulphur in the air and will help keep your jewellery from oxidising.

- Always put your silver jewellery on last, after putting on any hairspray or perfume. Make sure to never spray perfume where you keep your jewellery, as the components of perfume can make silver oxidise faster.

- Keep in mind that using a polishing cloth may wear or scratch your silver jewellery because of dust that collects on the cloth. A liquid cleaning solution called Silverdip can be more gentle on your jewellery, but keep in mind that it contains a kind of acid, and should be handled with care.