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Here's a jewellery artist who shares his experience with working with argentium silver and particularly this post where he did an allergy test (we all know how some people are allergy to some metal!) with argentium silver and the result seems to be just as positive as well.
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I think some of you might have heard about argemtium sterling silver somewhere by now. I've also made a mention of this form of metal in one of my previous post. I believe not many is very clear about this form of silver? It is after all, a relatively new metal, discovered only in 1996. Yes, that is some 13 years ago but for compared to the other forms of metal available in the marrket, it is still considered at its infancy.
Argentium Sterling Silver is a modern sterling silver alloy which modifies the traditional alloy (92.5% silver + 7.5% copper) by replacing some of the copper with the metalloid germanium. As it still retains the same 92.5% silver content, it is still sterling silver. The difference lies in the replacement of the 7.5% copper with germanium.
GermaniumGermanium is a crystalline semi-metallic element which is found naturally in small amounts in silver, copper and zinc ores, as well as in the mineral, germanite. The germanium forms an invisible film on the surface of silver alloy. This film prevents oxygen from reaching any tarnishable metals, such as copper, employed to harden the pure silver.
Because the germanium is a metalloid rather that a true metal, it is able to float.
So it is constantly diffusing to the surface where is reacts with oxygen to form
a thin layer of germanium oxide. Tarnish is caused by the formation of cuprous
oxide, and the germanium Oxide prevents the cuprous oxide from forming.
There are many advantages of this new metal but I'm only going to focus on this metal from the perpective of silver and jewellery making
One of the biggest advantages of argentium silver is the firescale elimination. The absence of firescale eliminates tedious and time-consuming steps required for cleaning the silver.
When heating sterling silver (92.5% fine silver and 7.5% copper) in a flame, the copper in the silver is subject to a fast oxidation called firescale.
Which is why, if you've come across instructions to make head pins by torching the end of the silver wires, you might have heard about flux and pickle before. These can be either chemicals or non-chemical substances used to reduce or clean the firescale.
Fine silver on the other hand doesn't get firescale because it doesn't have copper in it which is why you might have heard that fine silver does not have to be pickled and many prefer making head pins from fine silver.
All these problem is eliminated with argentium silver due to germanium as the alloy. Argentium silver also has a lower melting point which also makes it easier to ball up the end.
Another advantage that I believe many will be very happy about is the tarnish resistant quality of argentium silver. Caring and cleaning argentium Sterling Silver is very easy and needs far less care than traditional silver. An occasional (some suggested once a year!) rinse and wipe with a soft cotton cloth is all that's needed to keep it gleaming. It never needs polishing.
It has also been suggested not to polish it. If you feel you must, be sure to use a cloth that has not been contaminated by polishing other metals. Using a contaminated cloth could deposit tarnish-able material on the surface and destroy the main advantage of argentium silver.
Here, I can't help but to make a mention of this.
You know how some artist like to oxidise sterling silver to give it that antique look?
Well, after my explanation of srgentium silver above, you can imagine how baffled I was when I heard that some artist trying to oxidise argemtium silver wires!
Yes, indeed tarnish and oxidization is not exactly the same but not only will it be
more difficult to do so, it is also a question of practicality?
If one is going for the antique look, use traditional sterling silver. Why bother with argentium which is highly tarnish resistant if you are going to oxidise it therafter? The utmost reason people are using argentium is due to its highly tarnish resistant quality. It's just logic, really, if you ask me. Even more so when it costs a bit more than traditional sterling silver.
I can't tell you for sure exactly how much they cost especially we all know how the price of silver fluctuates and differ from one supplier to another but my reckon is that they probably cost around 25% more than traditional sterling silver.
A very exciting metal, isn't it?
Wondering where to get them?
Peter Johns of Middlesex University invented Argentium in 1996. The University owns the patent and licenses its production worldwide and Middlesex University if you know, is in the UK. So, you are guessing that it should be easily available in the UK, right?
Well, unfortunately, it isn't. I've been searching around in the UK for the wires already when I came to learn about argentium silver. As to my knowlege, so far, you can only get supplies of the wires from America. Even the list of suppliers listed on Argentium Silver official site are all America based suppliers. So, yes, looks like you might need to pay a little extra for shipping if you want to get your hands on these wires.
I tried writing to them once last month enquiring whereabouts in the UK can I find these wires since I am in the UK now and also considering where argentium silver came from, to which they reply.......
What the...... -_-Seriously, man.......
When I told Sa Kor about this, she told me that the 'next couple of months' should be read as 'slow-slow wait'. Well, that's direct translation from Hokkien actually. LOL...
Hhhhmmmppphhh..... -_-
According to Sa Kor, she's not surprised because in her view, the English are still quite slow to respond to new inventions as compared to their American counterparts. Even Uncle Ghee concurred with this, saying that even when it comes to marketing, the Americans are still faster.
So it seems that the gems are all in the States. Oh, well......
A note of caution though. I've heard some confusion with regards to argentium silver and white silver. This is something I overheard that some are saying white silver is the same as argentium silver and something something about proving it to be argentium silver and such.
Erm, I have no idea what white silver is but all I can tell you is that argentium silver is argentium silver. There's no need to prove that it is because it has to be if it is sold as such. It will be sold as argentium if it is. Period.
Just a little something I overheard anyway.
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