[Jewelry making - Article 00246] - Re: [Orchid] Copper less sterling silver casting alloy

[MillsGem]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


    Dear Tyler, Thanks for an excellent essay on the properties of
    sterling silver vs. de-ox silver. 

    On a practical level it is apparent that some of the finished
    jewelry that is coming in from foreign sources utilizes the softer
    silver that results from using less copper. It is also apparent that
    as a result of the softness of said silver, heavier wear components
    are the standard. For example, the ring shanks are typically much
    heavier that those used in sterling rings. Obviously the makers are
    keen to making the metal more workable in spite of using a bit more
    metal. 

    As for the Tiffany marketing ploys, brand name strategies are
    typically a way of squeezing more profit from a product that isn't
    necessarily any better than  generic merchandise. Recently one of my
    customers came in with a sterling French rope bracelet which had
    lost some links. She wanted me to solder some new links where the
    old had gone missing. I pointed out to her that since none of the
    other links had ever been soldered it might be a situation of
    spending good money after bad. She was incredulous pointing out the
    fact that there was a tiny tag appended to the bracelet stating that
    it had come from Tiffany and that she had paid a handsome sum for
    it.( She had actually purchased it from Tiffany in NYC ) There may
    have been a time when brand names were synonymous with quality.
    Unfortunately nowadays brand names can just as easily be cheap crap
    that is over priced ! One of the better examples of cheap
    merchandise being masqueraded under the guise of quality brand
    naming are quartz watches. I can think of several overpriced watch
    brands that sell for many times more than their no name equivalents. 
    Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA


____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________