Argentium at Cooksons at last!

[caroleallen]

Great news!

[mizgeorge]

And about time too!!

[joella]

Hi, May be a silly question, but I saw your excitement at Argentium availability, and just wondered.....what it is, and why it is? what do you use it for rather than ordinary sterling? Sorry if my question is rather basic (I'm probably being a bit thick).

[ps_bond]

It's a tarnish-resistant silver; still hallmarks as sterling, but has about 1% germanium in it. Costs a bit more, handles slightly differently (especially at heat) but can be worth the extra for some pieces.

[joella]

Thankyou Peter, so its tarnish resistant properties is what makes it desirable to use instead of ordinary sterling? When you say it handles differently at heat, does that mean it melts either more, or less easily than sterling? Is it about the same softness as sterling, or a bit harder wearing?
Sue.

[ps_bond]

It's hot short - so if it is at soldering heat and it sags it will break. Cold working it chases nicely; Nancy Megan Corwin is (or at least was) quite fond of it, while Cynthia Eid does a fair amount of hydraulic forming with it.
I wouldn't fold form it - it can end up fused to itself when annealing.

http://www.silversmithing.com/argent...tter-2-sas.pdf
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nena...um-testing.htm

[joella]

Thank you for your patient explanations Peter, that makes things a lot clearer to me now.