Silver you wear, silver you keep
Most people meet precious metal first as jewelry: a sterling chain received as a gift, a pair of hoops, a wedding band. Sooner or later the same questions come up. What does the 925 stamped inside a ring actually mean? Why does a silver necklace turn dark in a drawer? Is a gold-plated bracelet “real gold”? And, for some, the next step: what about owning silver or gold for its own sake, as coins or small bars?
This site answers both sides. The journal deals with jewelry: how to read hallmarks, how to choose a chain or a pair of earrings, how to clean silver without damaging it, how to store pieces so they last. The window presents bullion you can buy: silver coins from the major mints, silver bars, small gold bars from 1 g to one ounce, and two classic gold coins.
Sterling silver, the standard for jewelry, is an alloy: 92.5 % silver and 7.5 % other metals, usually copper, which make it hard enough to hold a clasp or a stone setting. Bullion silver is almost pure, at 999 or 999.9 thousandths, because it is meant to be valued by weight, not worn.
The same logic applies to gold. An 18-carat ring is 75 % gold; a 9-carat chain, 37.5 %. A gold bar is 999.9 thousandths. The higher the purity, the softer the metal: you would not want a wedding band in pure gold, and you would not want a bar of investment gold diluted with copper.
That difference also explains prices. A piece of jewelry is priced on design, workmanship and brand, with the metal often a modest share of the total. A coin or a bar is priced on the day’s gold or silver price, plus a premium for minting and distribution. That is why the window never shows a fixed price: prices change every day with the markets, and the current price is displayed at the retailer.
What you will find in the window
| Collection | What it holds | Typical use |
|---|
| Silver coins | One-ounce coins (Britannia, Maple Leaf, Philharmonic, Eagle, Kookaburra) and French silver francs | Buying silver piece by piece |
| Silver bars | 100 g, 250 g and 1 kg bars | Lower premium per gram, more storage needed |
| Small gold bars | 1 g, 2.5 g, 5 g, 10 g and 1 oz | Putting gold aside a little at a time |
| Gold coins | Sovereign and 20-franc Rooster | Small, widely traded gold coins |
Each listing gives the weight, the purity and the quantity of fine metal, which is what you are really paying for. We also note the points worth checking before buying: the premium over the metal price, the packaging to keep for resale, and the tax treatment in France, where investment gold is exempt from VAT and silver is not.
Who sells what
We sell nothing ourselves, and there is no basket on this site. Every item in the window is sold and shipped from France by Maison Or & Bijoux, a French precious-metals dealer. The button on each listing opens its page at the retailer, where you will see the price of the day, the stock and the delivery terms. Questions about an order go to the retailer, not to us.
We are not a jewelry wholesaler, and we have no connection with the business that used this domain name in the past. The journal is written by our editors; nobody pays to appear in it.
From the journal
The articles cover the practical side of silver and gold jewelry. A few starting points:
- Reading the metal: what sterling silver is, why it tarnishes, what the 925 mark guarantees and what it does not.
- Choosing a piece: bracelet styles, Figaro and other chains, pearl chokers, gemstone rings, earrings for every season.
- Wearing it: matching jewelry with necklines, sleeves and prints, and putting together pieces for a special occasion.
- Caring for it: cleaning silver necklaces safely, storing pieces in a jewelry box, keeping pearls and marcasite away from what damages them.
A word on prudence
Precious metals can fall as well as rise, and a coin or bar bought today and sold next month will usually be sold back below its purchase price, because of the premium and the dealer’s margin. Gold and silver are generally held for the long term, as one part of one’s savings. We describe products; we do not give personal investment advice, and the right amount to hold, if any, depends on your own situation.
Whether you came for a silver chain or a silver coin, the aim is the same: know what you are holding, and what it is worth.
