[Jewelry making - Article 00264] - Re: [Orchid] Sterling

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>         If, as you and others have pointed out, in the U.S. Sterling
>     silver is legally "anything that contains a minimum of 92.5%
>     silver" then I now understand why few of your enamellers can get
>     it to work ! 

    At this point, perhaps it would be fair to point out that in the
    U.S., and likely most other sources, if you go to your metals
    suppliers and just buy "sterling silver", the alloy you'll get is
    almost certainly going to contain just 7.5 percent copper only, in
    addition of course to the silver.  The various other alloys used for
    fire scale/fire stain  resistance or tarnish resistance, or other
    such uses, are virtually always more costly, and thus need to be
    specifically specified when ordering.  Many of them are also usually
    only available in casting grain form, rather than sheet and wire, so
    those folks buying sheet and wire forms of sterling will have a
    somewhat difficult time finding any forms of sterling silver other
    than just the traditional silver/copper alloy. 

Peter


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