Anti-Tarnish Argentium® Sterling Silver
Tarnish, fire-scale and oxidation have always been banes of the jewelry making industry. But now a near-miracle has occurred.
Peter Johns of Argentium® Silver Co. Ltd. in the United Kingdom has developed the new Argentium® Sterling Silver and it's fantastic!
Argentium® Sterling Silver is real sterling silver -- it is 925 parts out of 1000 silver, or .925. The difference is what the other 075 parts are. Traditional sterling silver uses copper as the balance of the sterling. Argentium® Sterling Silver is a trademarked and patented alloy that uses a combination copper and Germanium to make up the 075 parts of the sterling silver.
What's so great about Argentium® Sterling Silver? It is highly tarnish resistant. One jewelry designer who has been using it for years in testing claims that she has never seen tarnish on any of her Argentium® pieces! In fact, Argentium® increases its tarnish resistance over time. Lack of tarnish is fantastic for both jewelry designers and jewelry customers. Argentium® also doesn't produce firescale when heated, which any bench jeweler would tell you is like a miracle. Argentium® can also be hardened to twice the hardness of traditional sterling with heat, even heat low enough to use your kitchen oven. It also has low electrical and heat conductivity, higher tensile strength and ductility than traditional sterling, and can be laser-welded. On top of all the great properties for we jewelry folks, it's also good for the environment because it doesn't need hazardous chemicals for removing firescale. And it is safe making items for contact with food, and can be worked using the same safety precautions as traditional sterling silver.
I've started working with Argentium® wire and have found it just a touch harder to work with than standard sterling. At only about $1.00 to $2.00 more per ounce, its tarnish resistance makes it well worth using.
References and Articles on Argentium® Sterling Silver
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