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How to Build and Care for a Silver Jewellery Collection
By Sophie Carter - 19th June 2025
While gold jewellery has reigned supreme for as long as jewellery has existed, silver jewellery has slowly made its way to centre stage. Sleek, timeless, affordable, and durable, silver is a great metal for jewellery-wearers of all ages, and with its subtle shine and delicate appearance, silver is perfect for those just starting out on building their jewellery collection. If, however, you are building your jewellery rotation piece by piece, and you're looking for ways to ensure each necklace, bracelet, ring, or earring suits you and your personal style, this helpful guide is on hand to talk you through building and caring for your silver jewellery selection.
What is so great about silver jewellery?
Silver jewellery is popular for many reasons. People will cooler skin tones tend to veer towards silver jewellery due to its cool hues and delicate shine. Warmer jewellery shades like gold and rose gold don't always work well with cooler complexions, so opting for silver can often create a softer final look. Silver also shines bright on fairer skin, standing out in a way that looks classy and timeless. A common misconception when choosing jewellery shades, however, is that silver jewellery is best suited to fairer skin. Dark skin can also be cool-toned, and many shiny silver pieces can make that skin tone pop.
As well as suiting your skin tone, choosing the correct metal for you can also rely heavily on your aesthetic. Gold is often seen as the epitome of elegance, so tends to be best for those who like a more bold, fashion-forward look. Silver, however, tends to be adored by those who like more alternative styling. This could be due to the more affordable price point of pure and sterling silver.
Is silver jewellery hypoallergenic?
There are various types of silver jewellery. The more common types are silver plated, and sterling silver. While silver plated jewellery isn't hypoallergenic, its slightly higher-priced cousin, sterling silver, is suitable for sensitive skin. This durable metal is typically 92.5% silver, with a 7% copper alloy added in for strengthening the metal. This 925 grading is used across sterling silver jewellery to assure the wearer that it is almost entirely hypoallergenic, and therefore suitable for those with skin allergies or sensitivities. Read more about the properties of sterling silver and its suitability for pieces such as earrings, below.
How do I start a silver jewellery collection?
If you're starting from nothing, building a silver jewellery collection can be daunting. If you're not used to wearing a vast amount of jewellery, starting small with your collection will be your best move. Consider smaller, more delicate pieces like stud earrings or simple chains to easily ingratiate yourself into wearing silver jewellery.
Silver necklaces
A great starting point is a silver chain with no pendant or charms. You could opt for a traditional trace chain, but if you want something with a little extra detail, consider an already layered piece, to save you from having to find the right chains to layer. Our Double Ball Chain Necklace in Silver features two individual chains layered together to catch the light.
If you're wanting to build on this simple starting point, layering heavier chains with lighter chains is a great way to add intrigue without overpowering your look. Adding quirky pendants like our Sterling Silver St Christopher Pendant Necklace features a delicate chain and a sleek pendant, adding balance to your stack.
Silver Earrings
For many on their forray into the world of jewellery, starting with a piercing usually makes it easier to decide what jewellery style to buy first. If you've just got your lobes pierced and you're looking for something subtle but stylish to fill the holes with, consider dainty studs - preferably hypoallergenic as your new hole might be a little sensitive - that don't overpower your look.
For nature lovers, adding a tiny outdoorsy motif can be more than enough to portray your personality through your piercings. These Sterling Silver Shell Stud Earrings are small, sweet, and perfect for beach lovers. For something a little more detailed, consider a stud with a bit more size and depth. These Sterling Silver Crystal Sunbeam Stud Earrings feature a hollow centre that creates a sparkling ring on the lobe, adding some extra depth to an otherwise simple arrangement.
Never be afraid to up your earring game to a small hoop or a huggie. Studs aren't for everyone, and sometimes - even if you're new to jewellery - you might want to make your ears stand out a little. These Sterling Silver Dotted Huggie Hoop Earrings are small and delicate, perfect for adorning a newly pierced lobe.
How do I amp up my silver jewellery collection?
There are infinite ways to build up your silver jewellery collection after you've found a solid foundation. With so many different styles, trends, and add-ons, once you're feeling confident, you can begin to get more creative in order to suit your personal style.
If you've got a hankering for something a little more statement than a simple chain, why not amp up the size of the chain itself, rather than adorning it with charms or pendants? A chunky, oversized chain rarely leaves fashion trends, as it can be styled in so many ways. Our Stainless Steel Chunky Paperclip Chain Necklace is bold, beautiful, and will stand out enough to make an impact, without overpowering. Whether worn alone or layered with other chains in varying styles and thickness, this corker of a necklace can be taken from day to night, and is guaranteed to become a vital part of your silver jewellery collection.
If you're not keen on layering metals around your neck, why not add a statement piece to your arm instead? Oversized bangles have popped in and out of fashion for years, having their hay days most notably in the 80s, 90s, and right now! With just one statement piece, your look can be completely transformed, adding a sleek shine to stand out at any occasion. Consider our Stainless Steel Hinged Chunky Bangle for an easy-to-wear, knockout piece that will certainly get you noticed.
For earrings, going bigger and heavier isn't always ideal for everyday. Many opt for chunkier earrings on occasions or to accompany eveningwear. If, however, you're keen to add a bold silver piece to your day-to-day look, you'll be looking for earrings that may look chunky and heavy, but are actually lightweight and super easy to style. These Chunky Double Heart Drop Earrings in Silver are the perfect mix of standout style and easy accessorising. Made of lightweight sterling silver plated brass, they can simply be popped into your lobes for an elevated everyday look, or styled up with a fancy do' and a stunning dress for a knockout evening look.
When it comes to styling chunky jewellery, longevity and sustainability will be key. You'll want to find pieces that can fill your jewellery box for years, without the risk of tarnishing. Stainless steel is a great material to look for when it comes to bold jewellery, as it's waterproof and tarnish-free, and perfect for all-occasion wear.
How can I layer up my silver jewellery?
One of the greatest ways to show off many pieces in your silver jewellery collection is to decide on a layered look you love. Stacking rings and bracelets, curating an ear look, or layering your chains can be a wonderful way to style multiple textures, tones, and details with your jewellery. If you're not keen on mixing metals, and your silver pieces are your pride and joy, wearing a few pieces together can help make each piece stand out even more. For a layered necklace look, consider wearing a cool pendant necklace with a chunky or detailed chain, and perhaps even a delicate chain to offset the balance. Staggering the length at which you wear each one will create more of an effortless layered look, too, meaning it'll be tricky to tell whether you're wearing several necklaces or one stunning piece. Getting in a muddle with your chains? Add a Necklace Separator to ensure each chain is easily spaced and easy to put on quickly.
For earrings, looking into cool and quirky curated ear looks can be a great way to wear multiple studs, hoops, and drop earrings at once. It's worth remembering that you'll have to have the piercings in place first, and staggering them up the ear from the helix to the lobe is a beautiful way of creating a stunning earring constellation. Check our our guide to ear curation for ideas and tips on creating a dreamy ear look.
Bracelets and rings can be the easiest to layer, as you just slip them on and you're good to go. For rings, you'll need to consider different sizes for each finger. If you have a ring sizer handy, gathering a few pretty rings in larger and smaller sizes means you can adorn each finger from your thumb to your pinkie. When it comes to bracelets, however, stacking stretchy and adjustable bracelets or one-size-fits-all bangles is a sure-fire way to elevate your look. Adding in varying textures, patterns, beads and chains can easily take an outfit from day to night, and is perfect for showcasing a beloved bracelet collection.
What is the best way to store my silver jewellery?
How you store your jewellery is really important for keeping it safe and tarnish-free. As moisture can be detrimental to the clean look of your silver jewellery, you'll want to make sure it's stored in a room like a bedroom, rather than a bathroom. An airtight container or vessel will always be best for your silver jewellery, as when exposed regularly to sunlight, air, and heat, the surface of the silver can oxidise, thus speeding up the process of tarnishing.
To prevent your jewellery from scuffing or marking, storing each piece separately is the perfect way to keep them safe. Making sure your necklaces aren't tangled together and your rings aren't on top of one another will mean no scratches should occur. The best tool for keeping each piece apart will always be a sizeable jewellery box. Many of our jewellery boxes come with compartments for different jewellery types. Our White Two Tier Jewellery Box has several levels with compartments, ring rolls, and necklace pouches, meaning you can store each piece in plushy velvet comfort, far away from moisture or air.
Some other great pieces for storing your silver jewellery are:
Jewellery cases - often smaller and more compact than a traditional jewellery box and covered in soft fabric, a jewellery case can be easily transported in a bag or case when you're off on trips
Jewellery rolls - completely soft and ultra compact, jewellery rolls have compartments inside that open out to reveal a flat-lay fabric case which can be easily stored in a bag or drawer without taking up much space
Jewellery stands - while more open to the elements, if you prefer your jewellery to be on display and you know you will wear each piece regularly, a pretty jewellery stand might be perfect for popping on your dressing table
Trinket dishes - ideal for a small collection of pieces to grab-and-go quickly, a trinket dish is small, sweet, and ideal for sitting pretty on your bedside or dresser
How can I care for my silver jewellery?
Whether your jewellery is sterling silver or just silver plated, how you care for it is really important. Regular polishing is your best bet for ensuring your silver jewellery shines for a long time. If you're building a silver jewellery collection, we highly recommend ensuring you have a polishing cloth on hand. When you gently rub at the surface of the piece with the cloth, you'll buff away any dullness and easily restore your beloved pieces.
For long-term care, it's important to ensure you're looking after your jewellery while you're wearing it, too. Try to avoid coming into contact with chemicals such as skincare products and perfumes. While they may not harm your jewellery permanently, the oils can build up in a layer on the surface and cause an annoying tarnish that you need to buff out more regularly.
For more tips and tricks on caring for your collection, check out our guide to sterling silver jewellery care below.
Once you've built a small selection of silver jewellery pieces you adore, you'll soon be excited to add more and more. Whether you favour simple and understated, or chunky and oversized, your silver jewellery collection can really add to your personal style, and ensuring you have the correct tools and tips on hand to care for that collection will mean you can wear it with pride for many years to come.
