[Jewelry making - Article 00358] - Re: [Orchid] Using sterling or Argentium silver

[The Doctor]

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>         do you all prefer using Argentium silver over sterling? 

    So far, yes. I'm still getting acquainted with it, but it is a
    marvelous material. 

>         I am hearing from you that it doesn't tarnish?  Also, where do
>     you get a stamp for marking? 

    Any ".925" or "Sterling" stamp will suffice. 

>         People have a stigma that sterling is "real" silver and it will
>     take time to educate the public on the Argentium. 

    Any material that consists of 925 parts of fine silver in 1,000 is
    sterling. Although copper has been the traditionally used as the
    other 75 parts, it can be anything you wish. Argentium Sterling
    silver IS sterling in every sense of the word. The only education
    your public needs is about its' resistance to tarnish. 

>             Do you all suggest that I switch over to Argentium- have
>     you had good luck and a good reception to it from the public? 
>     Please let me know what you think, if you will. I would like input
>     before I invest in something new. 

    Working in another person's retail store, I have less and less time
    to work on my own - especially since I bring home lapidary and other
    work from the store. However, the few pieces I've offered to my
    personal clientele have been very well received. I probably won't
    bother introducing it to the retail store very soon, though. Mainly
    because the customers there are just too snobby to buy "mere silver."
    Most want platinum or white gold, with the odd client wanting the
    more traditional yellow gold, and that in at least 18 karat. I'll
    never understand why these snobs want grayish platinum and yellowish
    white gold that has been rhodium-plated to look like silver, yet they
    don't want the silver, itself! That being said, Argentium isn't so
    expensive that it becomes some kind of huge investment. Apart from a
    couple of new buffs and files (I suggest using separate tools for
    working Argentium Sterling to prevent minor cross-contamination), you
    don't really need much. The material itself isn't cost prohibitive,
    so try making a few pieces with it and see for yourself. 

    If there were 8 more hours in the day, I'd likely work them to bring
    some Argentium pieces into the retail store, but I barely have time
    to contribute to fabrication, much less the educational case signs,
    cards, etc., to help the customer understand why they should consider
    this new product. For now, the retail store customer in my
    neighborhood thinks ANY kind of silver is "too cheap." But these are
    the same people who think that Rolex watches are the pinnacle of
    style. Go figure.

James in SoFl

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