[Jewelry making - Article 00854] - Re: [Orchid] Argentium silver cost

[Trevor F]

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>     I though I had understood that the Argentium was softer in the
>     annealed state and work-hardened much more slowly, but could be
>     hardened by heating to be as hard as regular sterling. 

Hello Zen,

    I'd say you understood correctly, more or less. 

    Peter Johns, the developer of Argentium, tells me that his tests
    indicate that initially Argentium actually work hardens _faster_ than
    regular sterling. After that though it reaches a "plateau" where the
    work hardening seems to level off quite markedly. Beyond that point
    you can expect more workability than you'd experience with standard
    sterling. 

    I can't say I've noticed the faster hardening at the beginning but I
    have certainly seen, and enjoyed, that "plateau" and the extended
    working time beyond it. 

    My own impression is that Argentium does anneal to a softer state
    than regular sterling but I have no technical data nor controlled
    test results to back that up. 

    It was these things --the softer anneal and the extended work time,
    not to mention the firescale and tarnishing resistance-- that led me
    to say that in terms of it's workability Argentium is more like, but
    not the same as, fine silver than it is like standard sterling. 

    I haven't tried the heat (precipitation) hardening yet so I can't
    comment on that. I've heard the "twice as hard" claim too but,
    frankly, I'll believe it when I see it. 

Cheers,
Trevor F.
in The City of Light

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