Sterling Silver In Fine Jewelry

Photo: Voogme 925 Silver and Moissanite

Frankly, this jewelry lover is happy she bought a few pieces of fine jewelry years before our pandemic hit since the price of gold and jewelry has increased like other consumer goods after our COVID crisis. Plus jewelry, which should not be considered an investment, has always had a hefty profit margin above the wholesale value of the pieces. Jewelry is as much of a luxury buy as designer clothes, shoes, and handbags, which are also marked up to whatever customers are willing to pay.

Photo: Shop LC

That said, there's a limit to what ordinary people can spend to own luxury goods including jewelry. Sadly considering today's elevated costs, I recommend bypassing 18k or 14k gold and diamonds. Retailers are charging astronomical prices without giving us enough value in return. Frequently their jewelry is flimsy with a sky-high price tag attached. Fuhgeddaboudit!

I also suggest skipping overpriced costume jewelry. It has depreciation or zero value.

Pure silver unmixed with other metals

Instead, turn to 925 sterling silver fine jewelry. Don't overpay or overconsume, yet buy a capsule of pieces you love and will wear over and over again with all your outfits from blue jeans to a little black dress. Unlike purses or shoes at least with fine jewelry, you don't end up with depreciation value simply by wearing it! 

Sterling 925 Silver is the jewelry quality standard in most of the world. It is an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% another metal, usually copper, sometimes nickel. (Pure gold or) pure silver is too soft to be worn as jewelry. The alloy (whether gold) or silver + other added metals increases the hardness of a necklace, bracelet, or ring giving them strength so they won't blend or dent as easily by wearing them.

Like pure gold, pure silver is a precious metal listed as an element on the Periodic Table. With sterling silver, you are buying fine jewelry! But be aware that sterling silver is softer than gold, so more durable for earrings, necklaces, or signature rings than for everyday rings you might mindlessly bang around as you go about your usual activities. However, if you take care of sterling silver jewelry, it will last a lifetime and for generations.

The current price of 925 sterling silver is $31.24 t.oz. A gram is the smallest unit to measure silver. 925 silver value is between $0.69 and $0.80 per gram.

Usually, there is a quality mark -- 925 -- on pieces of sterling silver. Sterling silver jewelry is required to carry this stamp if there is surface area to put it. The marking can be seen with a magnifier. Sterling silver jewelry is sometimes dipped in rose or yellow gold or another metal to offer yellow-or-rose gold-like jewelry.

Photo: Italo Jewelry

Sterling silver jewelry that isn't worn frequently will tarnish yet is easily and safely cleaned with retail tarnish remover and a silver cleaning cloth. A tissue can scratch the silver.

Leslie Villarreal

Non-tarnish silver alloys also exist on the market. Argentiun Silver is one such brand that sells silver jewelry that doesn't tarnish. The non-tarnish alloys in jewelry are 92.5% silver (or higher), copper, and the addition of the element germanium. Germanium makes the alloy harder and resistant to tarnish. Under extreme conditions, it still tarnishes but requires less maintenance than sterling. The non-tarnishing alloy is also significantly more expensive than sterling silver.

Without a good deal, I'd stick with 925 sterling silver for its more affordable price. If too costly, you might as well save up for gold. It's a trade-off really ... with today's jewelry prices, we're having to spend too much. Yet, life is a series of tradeoffs, and it's a shame splurging on gold jewelry has gotten so stupidly expensive!😠

Photo: Macy's Sterling Silver Set. Mystic Topez

You may also enjoy:

Pearls The Queen Of Gems

Taaffeite Is A Rare Gemstone

Yellow vs White vs Rose Gold

Gemstone Hardness Verses Toughness

What Are Brisling Sardines?

Summer Eats continued: What are brisling sardines? They are an impulse buy on a trip to the health food store a while ago. Ten cans, I must have been out of my mind that day! I know they are packed with protein and omega 3, 6, and 9 oils. They have a mild flavor and, in fact, are less fishy tasting than tuna. So why do I and others have such an aversion to eating them?

Just to get them down my throat I've been mixing a can of brisling sardines with a can of solid white tuna to make a salad. It's the easiest way of not having to look at them. Nutritionally, it's an excellent idea. Here's why ...

Brisling sardines are caught in the clear, clean, cool waters of Northern Europe. Europeans call the tiny silver fish sprats. They are under 4" long, half the size of other sardines. They have a mild taste and a tender delicate texture with no notable scales. Often packed in extra virgin olive oil, foodies claim they have a buttery texture.

Brislings are not only delicious but they’re also packed with a ton of nutrients including the omega-3 fatty acids, I mentioned. A serving also has 17% of our recommended calcium requirement and a whopping 17 grams of protein. These nutrients are best derived from natural sources rather than supplements. As a small fish, you need not worry about consuming mercury. Tuna has a moderate amount of mercury because it's a bigger fish, but sardines are one of the healthiest fish to eat!

Due to its mercury content, you should eat tuna not more than twice a week, but if mixed with sardines, you're cutting the mercury contained in tuna by half.

Frankly, I've never had a problem with the taste of sardines, it's the idea of eating sardines. So I disguise them as a tuna-sardines salad on 2 slices of multigrain toast. I'll post the ingredients for the salad below, plus you can make the salad into a grilled melt if you wish:

Tuna Sardines Melt

Ingredients:

1 can of brisling sardines in extra virgin olive oil

1 can of solid white tuna (I buy tuna in water.)

1/4 of an onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery (I use the leaves too), finely chopped

2 baby carrots, finely chopped

2 - 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

Salt, pepper, garlic, parsley to taste

Optional: Add 2 hard boiled eggs to make a creamier salad.

Directions:

1) Mix the ingredients thoroughly.

2) To make a sandwich toast 2 slices of bread.

3) If making a melt, spread a little of the mayonnaise on one slice of bread. Layer with some of the tuna-sardines salad, and top with cheese. Lay a 2nd slice of bread on your baking sheet if you desire a topper.

4) Broil in the oven at 450 degrees F to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven. If you wish you top it with your 2nd slice of toast.

Since I eat tuna, salmon, catfish, cod, and sushi without flinching, I can't explain why I, as well as, many others have an issue with eating sardines, a tiny fish, as opposed to a big one! It makes no sense. Do you know?

You may also enjoy:

Summer Eats

Eaters Beware

Fish, Good Or Bad?

Salmon Cakes With Spicy Rèmoulade Sauce

Box Shorts Are Tendy This Summer

Photo: Shein

Boxer shorts are trendy this summer, and they're super stylish! Comfortable and flattering for many body types. Certainly, they look more like shorts than underwear. Their vibe reminds me of culottes, which is a cross between shorts and a skirt, some call culottes a split skirt.

Photo: J Crew

Tight shorts are seldom complimentary and neither are bloomers. Boxer shorts show just the right amount of skin, and the flair-out of the legs is not only fashionable but also cool in boiling temperatures.

The boxer shorts' band flatters the waist, and they look preppy paired with a sweater. I love the buttons on the image above on the left, but this detail will date the shorts by making them look the most like their underwear inspiration.

Like other apparel, you can find boxer shorts at different price points, fabrics, colors, and patterns. Go inexpensive to get in on the fad. Cotton is popular! So are vertical stripes. Yet, I'd avoid box-short sets. Generally, short sets are popular for children (I wore them up until age 12). For adults, it's too matchy-matchy.

Photos: J Crew (left) and Amazon (right)

Crisp, clean, and shapely, this summer trend looks classic and has the potential to last beyond 2024. 

You may also enjoy:

Nasty Gal For Edgy Clothes

Which Lenth Of Shorts Are You?

6 Best Fabrics To Wear In Summer

Lands' End Summer And Beach Wear

High Protein Granola Bars -- To Bake Or Not To Bake

Granola bar images istock

Since my senior mom has become a picky eater I spend more money on protein drinks and bars than I do on meat. One of my rules is she must eat real food -- unprocessed meat, carbohydrates, and either fruit or vegetables for dinner. At times, it's a struggle. So I buy 30-gram protein drinks and strive for 20-gram protein bars that are low in sugar. They are more costly than real food and not as tasty, but what am I to do?

I found 2 recipes for High Protein Granola Bars. Both are 20 grams of protein per bar, count as real food, and are easy to make. Since the recipes are on multiple websites without credit, I have no idea who created them. 

Nearly the same, the 1st recipe requires 5 ingredients and no baking. Add eggs and bake recipe #2:

I. No Bake 5 Ingredient High Protein Granola Bars

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup vanilla protein powder

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1) In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients, oats, and protein powder.

2) In a 2nd mixing bowl, microwave the peanut butter and honey for a few seconds to soften them.

3) Combine the wet with the dry ingredients. You can add a few spoons of water to the mixture if it's too dry.

4) Press the mixture into an 8" by 8" pan lined with parchment paper.

5) Evenly distribute the chocolate chips and press them into the batter.

6) Refrigerate until the bars are firm before cutting with a knife dipped in water (to avoid sticking) into 16 bars.

🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪🥚🍫🍪

II. Baked 6 Ingredient High Protein Granola Bars

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup vanilla protein powder

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1) Mix the dry ingredients, oats and protein powder.

2) Mix in the eggs.

3) Microwave the peanut butter and honey for a few seconds to soften them and combine them into the mixture.

4) Pour into an 8" by 8" pan sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.

5) Distribute and press the chocolate chips into the dough.

6) Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Check and remove when the outside edges start to turn slightly brown.

7) Cool, and cut while still warm into 16 bars.

To bake or not to bake, that is the question. My answer: First try the unbaked granola bars and if you like them go no further. If curious, make the baked granola bar recipe and decide which texture you prefer. Also if you want add-ins like whole almonds, or sunflower seeds, or white chocolate chips, or coconut flakes, or raisins it's up to you. Feel free to dip your baked granola bars into melted dark chocolate with baker's wax if you desire. 

You may also enjoy:

Real Italian Cooking

Dresses For A Senior Mother

5 Interior Design Styles - Part I

The Value Of A College Education

Walmart's Cheap Thrill Dresses

I no longer buy high-end summer dresses. The pricey ones hang in my closet while I grab a swing dress from (1) Lands' End, (2) Uniqlo, or (3) Old Navy to go to the theater, ballet, or a restaurant. I call them my Cheap Thrill Dresses. No dry cleaning is needed!

A Cheap Thrill Dress is a dress that's cute, cozy, decent quality, and won't break the bank. Paired with ballet flats and some bling, the garment looks polished and suitable for a night out on the town. You can wear a Cheap Thrill Dress without fuss. If you sit on a park bench; in the open air on the fountain at Lincoln Center; or decide to ride the subway, you won't have to fret about ruining your dress. Cheap thrill dresses can be machine-washed and dried all summer long!

Let me introduce you to a 4th retailer carrying Cheap Thrill Dresses worth considering. Walmart has a reasonably good brand, PPYOUNG, which is getting tons of 5-star reviews from happy customers. The dresses feel as comfortable as wearing T-shirts, yet are much more stylish.

The knit fabric of 95% rayon with 5% spandex is a winning combination for a hot steamy summer to keep you cool and wrinkle-free. The adorable swing style is universally flattering on nearly every body type.

What a versatile dress ... going from a night out on the town, to a Saturday running errands frock, or an all-day beach coverup, to an easy-to-pack in-a-suitcase vacation dress.

If ordering clothing from Walmart (or Target known to collaborate with upscale designers), I recommend reading all the reviews. Customers usually mention when a dress runs large, true-to-size, or small, plus check the manufacturers' size chart. 

The PPYOUNG dresses from Walmart come in several styles, colors, and patterns, and the price points are a steal making owning a few a no-brainer! 

You may also enjoy:

Big Ticket Looks For Less

Dresses For A Senior Mother

6 Best Fabrics To Wear In Summer

Save On Summer Fashion Essentials

Summer Eats

Fresh summer tomatoes are the best! Photo: HuffPost 

I post more recipes in summer on THE SAVVY SHOPPER than at other times of the year. Why? I have more time to cook and play. In summer, real food -- not junk food -- that doesn't take hours to prepare or cook also catches my eye. I slap it up here if I wish to share or find it again myself.

Fresh food I don't have to cook is one of the many things I love about summer. Last night I cut up an avocado, tomato, and onion, tossed them into a bowl, and seasoned them with cider vinegar (a friend gave me cider vinegar with a "mother" in it), salt, pepper, garlic and parsley. Mmm!

If you mash the ingredients, you'll have guacamole, more traditionally made with lime, but I prefer good vinegar.

In summer I love a late-night dinner of red wine and extra-sharp cheddar cheese on grainy rye bread. It's umami tasty! I could eat it as a supper 7 days a week, but I don't let myself! Only one day a week is my rule. I add cruditès of raw vegetables and fruit to balance out the meal. Another summer love is it stays daylight until 9 PM!

When you don't cook a meal what is your favorite at-home summer dinner? If reading this blog, you're looking at mine.

You may also enjoy:

American Potato Salad

Barbecue Franks And Beans

Stove Top Roast Chicken With Gravy

Bean, Avocado, Corn, Onion And Tomato