About Silver

Sterling Silver is a precious metal, used for jewelry because it combines strength, durability and a natural white color. As with gold, U.S. laws and Federal Trade Commission guidelines govern the way silver must be described, according to its "fineness", the amount of pure silver it contains. An item that is "sterling silver" contains at least 92.5% pure silver. At Fortunoff, the majority of silver jewelry we carry is sterling silver.

Since high-purity sterling silver has a tendency to tarnish, various techniques are employed to inhibit tarnishing. Manufacturers often coat the silver with another white metal, such as rhodium (a valuable platinum-family metal), while others apply a thin polymer or other clear finish. Sometimes a tarnish-resistant coated piece of paper may be enclosed within the plastic bag or pouch that holds the silver jewelry. If your silver jewelry was purchased within the last ten years, chances are good that it has been coated with an anti tarnishing agent.

Thin coatings of silver may also be applied over base metals. Known as silver plated or silver coated jewelry, these are better for necklaces or earrings, where durability is not key. There are no regulations governing the amount of silver in such items, however. Costume jewelry or base metal jewelry that is described as "silver," may be silver colored base metal and contains no silver.

Silver Care

Special Care For Silver Sterling Jewelry

Silver tarnishes naturally when exposed to light and air. This process, called oxidation, can create an interesting and desirable patina that can be enjoyed or conversely, removed using polishing cloths specifically made for silver jewelry. Anti-tarnish coatings on silver jewelry can scratch or wear off unevenly, creating the appearance of water spots or similar discoloration. This Sterling Silver should be wiped, not forcefully rubbed with a polishing cloth.

For polishing older sterling silver pieces, use a cloth or mitt specially designed for silver, and silver polish.

For silver with anti-tarnish coatings, use a soft jewelry polishing cloth only. It is best to lightly wipe or clean these pieces as you would gold jewelry. Do not use silver polish.

Wipe your Vermeil jewelry as you would gold jewelry. Do not use abrasives, chemicals, or silver polish.

Never wear your sterling silver jewelry while swimming in chlorine water, as chlorine may cause discoloration of the metal.

As with other fine jewelry, exposure to any chemicals may damage the finish.

Store your sterling silver jewelry in a cool dry place, individually wrapped in a cloth to prevent it from being scratched by other jewelry.

Gift Wrap
If you would like your gift box wrapped or to send a personalized gift message, simply choose "Gift Services" during checkout. You can select to have your box wrapped in our elegant silver paper and enter your gift message, which we will hand-write on our gift card.

Free Ground Delivery
Shop at FortunoffJewelry.com and enjoy free FedEx Home Delivery on every order, every day. Your free shipping discount will be automatically applied during checkout.

Shipping Info

General Shipping Information

Fortunoff will make every attempt to fill your order as quickly as possible. We ship most in-stock orders within 3 business days using Federal Express or US Postal Service Priority Mail. We require a signature for proof-of-delivery for orders over $500. Your selection ships in a gift box or pouch. Free gift wrapping and gift card messages are available; just indicate your request at check-out in the appropriate fields.

Our standard residential shipping method is FedEx Home Delivery. In the Metro NY area these may arrive the next day after they are shipped, but this is not guaranteed.

Orders that are designated for Overnight or 2-Day service may not ship the same day they were ordered. These still are subject to normal order processing and fulfillment. For rush orders or stock inquires, call our Customer Service Team at 1-800-636-7886 or e-mail service@fortunoffjewelry.com.

We cannot ship to international addresses, P.O. Boxes, APO or FPO addresses. Orders to Alaska and Hawaii must be shipped using Overnight or 2-Day methods.

We do not ship out orders on Saturday or Sunday, or for weekend delivery.

If your order cannot be shipped within 5 business days after your order is confirmed, Fortunoff will notify you by e-mail or phone. Dates quoted for merchandise that is not immediately available (backorder, special order or merchandise that requires sizing or personalization) are approximate and not guaranteed. We will make every attempt to expedite your order and notify you by e-mail or phone when you order is ready to ship.

Merchandise will be billed to your credit card when shipped.

Packages that are returned or shipped with an incorrect address provided by the customer will be subject to additional shipping charges.

Shipping Method

Shipping rates are dependent upon the shipping method you choose. We offer the following methods:

FedEx Home Delivery/Ground

FREE

FedEx 2-Day

$12.00 per address

FedEx Overnight

$22.00 per address

Multiple Items Being Shipped

Orders containing multiple items being shipped to the same address may ship separately if some items become backordered. This will not result in additional shipping charges. You will be notified as each item ships. Items being shipped to multiple addresses are subject to separate shipping charges. Items that are expected to arrive within 7 days of each other shipping to the same address will be held and shipped together unless you instruct us otherwise.

Contact Us

Contact Us:

From 9:30 AM to 6 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday You may also request a phone appointment. Our customer service team is here to help you with any question you might have.

About Silver

Sterling Silver is a precious metal, used for jewelry because it combines strength, durability and a natural white color. As with gold, U.S. laws and Federal Trade Commission guidelines govern the way silver must be described, according to its "fineness", the amount of pure silver it contains. An item that is "sterling silver" contains at least 92.5% pure silver. At Fortunoff, the majority of silver jewelry we carry is sterling silver.

Since high-purity sterling silver has a tendency to tarnish, various techniques are employed to inhibit tarnishing. Manufacturers often coat the silver with another white metal, such as rhodium (a valuable platinum-family metal), while others apply a thin polymer or other clear finish. Sometimes a tarnish-resistant coated piece of paper may be enclosed within the plastic bag or pouch that holds the silver jewelry. If your silver jewelry was purchased within the last ten years, chances are good that it has been coated with an anti tarnishing agent.

Thin coatings of silver may also be applied over base metals. Known as silver plated or silver coated jewelry, these are better for necklaces or earrings, where durability is not key. There are no regulations governing the amount of silver in such items, however. Costume jewelry or base metal jewelry that is described as "silver," may be silver colored base metal and contains no silver.

Silver Care

Special Care For Silver Sterling Jewelry

Silver tarnishes naturally when exposed to light and air. This process, called oxidation, can create an interesting and desirable patina that can be enjoyed or conversely, removed using polishing cloths specifically made for silver jewelry. Anti-tarnish coatings on silver jewelry can scratch or wear off unevenly, creating the appearance of water spots or similar discoloration. This Sterling Silver should be wiped, not forcefully rubbed with a polishing cloth.

For polishing older sterling silver pieces, use a cloth or mitt specially designed for silver, and silver polish.

For silver with anti-tarnish coatings, use a soft jewelry polishing cloth only. It is best to lightly wipe or clean these pieces as you would gold jewelry. Do not use silver polish.

Wipe your Vermeil jewelry as you would gold jewelry. Do not use abrasives, chemicals, or silver polish.

Never wear your sterling silver jewelry while swimming in chlorine water, as chlorine may cause discoloration of the metal.

As with other fine jewelry, exposure to any chemicals may damage the finish.

Store your sterling silver jewelry in a cool dry place, individually wrapped in a cloth to prevent it from being scratched by other jewelry.

Gift Wrap
If you would like your gift box wrapped or to send a personalized gift message, simply choose "Gift Services" during checkout. You can select to have your box wrapped in our elegant silver paper and enter your gift message, which we will hand-write on our gift card.

Free Ground Delivery
Shop at FortunoffJewelry.com and enjoy free FedEx Home Delivery on every order, every day. Your free shipping discount will be automatically applied during checkout.

Shipping Info

General Shipping Information

Fortunoff will make every attempt to fill your order as quickly as possible. We ship most in-stock orders within 3 business days using Federal Express or US Postal Service Priority Mail. We require a signature for proof-of-delivery for orders over $500. Your selection ships in a gift box or pouch. Free gift wrapping and gift card messages are available; just indicate your request at check-out in the appropriate fields.

Our standard residential shipping method is FedEx Home Delivery. In the Metro NY area these may arrive the next day after they are shipped, but this is not guaranteed.

Orders that are designated for Overnight or 2-Day service may not ship the same day they were ordered. These still are subject to normal order processing and fulfillment. For rush orders or stock inquires, call our Customer Service Team at 1-800-636-7886 or e-mail service@fortunoffjewelry.com.

We cannot ship to international addresses, P.O. Boxes, APO or FPO addresses. Orders to Alaska and Hawaii must be shipped using Overnight or 2-Day methods.

We do not ship out orders on Saturday or Sunday, or for weekend delivery.

If your order cannot be shipped within 5 business days after your order is confirmed, Fortunoff will notify you by e-mail or phone. Dates quoted for merchandise that is not immediately available (backorder, special order or merchandise that requires sizing or personalization) are approximate and not guaranteed. We will make every attempt to expedite your order and notify you by e-mail or phone when you order is ready to ship.

Merchandise will be billed to your credit card when shipped.

Packages that are returned or shipped with an incorrect address provided by the customer will be subject to additional shipping charges.

Shipping Method

Shipping rates are dependent upon the shipping method you choose. We offer the following methods:

FedEx Home Delivery/Ground

FREE

FedEx 2-Day

$12.00 per address

FedEx Overnight

$22.00 per address

Multiple Items Being Shipped

Orders containing multiple items being shipped to the same address may ship separately if some items become backordered. This will not result in additional shipping charges. You will be notified as each item ships. Items being shipped to multiple addresses are subject to separate shipping charges. Items that are expected to arrive within 7 days of each other shipping to the same address will be held and shipped together unless you instruct us otherwise.

Contact Us

Contact Us:

From 9:30 AM to 6 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday You may also request a phone appointment. Our customer service team is here to help you with any question you might have.