Though traditional jewelry from India is dominated by gold, silver jewelry can be found mainly in the rural areas of the country. Silver ornaments are not only popular and commonplace in the rural areas of the country but they form an integral part of many tribal societies of India.

Women in rural areas generally wear heavy silver ornaments for decoration and as a safeguard during financial crisis, when silver ornaments can be sold out for money.

Silver in its pure state so soft that it is not used in jewelry making. To make it hard, silver is often mixed with copper. Sterling silver is made up of 925 parts silver and 75 parts of copper. Sterling silver is thus considered as the purest form of silver.

However, silver content in ornaments made out of silver must not be below 50 per cent at any given time. The percentage of alloys and other metals mixed with silver varies from state to state. Silver ornaments from Gujarat usually have 70 per cent silver content while in neighboring state of Rajasthan, ornaments generally have a silver content as high as 85 per cent.

Silver jewelry mainly comprises of rings, chains, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, nose rings, toe rings, heavy kadas and armlets.

Different parts of India have their own silver jewelry traditions. Each rural community has its distinct designs and patterns. On can identify the tribe or community, social status and even the marital status of a woman wearing traditional silver jewelry, from any part of the country.

The Kutchh and Saurashtra regions of Gujarat have a large number of tribal and nomadic and semi-nomadic communities, each having particularly crafted silver ornaments. Silver jewelry from this region comprises of thick kadas, heavy armlets and long earrings etc.
Rajasthan, which is known for its gold ornaments, also has a rich tradition of silver jewelry. Men and women in the rural areas can be seen bedecked with heavy but elaborate silver ornaments nose rings, bracelets, rings, toe rings, thick ankle bracelets and armlets, pendants for the forehead and the breast. Silver ornaments from Barmer, Bikaner and Alwar follow traditional floral and leaf motifs.

Madhya Pradesh has a distinct and varied folk jewelry tradition. Chattisgarh, Tikamgarh, Jhabua, Bastar, Malwa and Sheopur-Kalan are important centers of folk jewelry.

A variety of silver jewelry plated with gold and semi-precious stones is produced in many southern states. These ornaments are much lighter in weight and are affordable than their gold counterparts. Slight variations to the designs have been made to suite the modern trend.

Earlier people did not use second hand silver ornaments. In the rural areas old silver ornaments were melted to create new ones.

Now days, urban women are rediscovering the charm of traditional silver jewelry. Silver jewelry is made with traditional designs or oxidized to give it an old look. The demand for old silver or second hand old silver ornaments is also on the rise.

These days silver jewelry bearing a traditional design can easily be found across the country as it is made in bulk in centers like Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, Salem in Tamil Nadu and Rajkot in Gujarat. These ornaments are lighter than the old chunky pieces and also have modern motifs on them.

India has become a huge exporter of sterling jewelry in the last decade. Traditional motifs and designs generally adorn the pieces, which are exported.