Rose Martin 20" graduated Navajo Pearls- Bil 540

Handcrafted Navajo pearl necklace by artist Rose Martin. She is well known for her bead making. Set in solid sterling silver and measuring 20" in length. The graduated length has round, saucer and barrel beads. These measure approximately 6mm to 19mm. The unique design of the graduated beads give this necklace a medium weight that is easy wear. 20" STERLING SILVER BEADS Sterling silver Is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper the sterling silver has a minimum fineness of. 925 SILVER, for example 99.9% pure silver, is relatively soft, so silver is usually alloyed with copper to increase its hardness and strength. Sterling silver is prone to tarnishing, and elements other than copper can be used in alloys to reduce tarnishing. ______________________________________________________ Oxidized silver (black coloring in the silver) is a process that many jewelers use to give sterling silver a black patina. It gives the jewelry an antique or tarnished look. The process consists of taking clean sterling silver and using a chemical (liver of Sulphur) to treat it to speed up the tarnishing effect.