[Jewelry making - Article 00256] - Re: [Orchid] Argentium Sterling: Annealing

[Eva Martin]

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Hello Janet,

>     How do you anneal AS? I.e., does it matter how quickly it is
>     heated, or how long it is held at annealing temperature? Is
>     quenching necessary, and does it have to be done as soon as the red
>     glow disappears?

    You anneal Argentium in a similar way you would anneal regular
    sterling - bring it up to temperature with a large bushy flame.
    However, there are a couple of important differences. The annealing
    temperature of Argentium is lower the Standard Sterling (1050 F Vs
    1150 F) and the red glow that you get when annealing Argentium should
    be much much paler. Bringing Argentium up to standard sterling
    annealing colour would be too high. I tend to anneal in a dark
    corner, so that I can see the colour change more easily. 

    Care also needs to be taken when quenching Argentium. Argentium's
    lower conductivity means that heat takes longer to dissipate from it.
    As a result, quenching the alloy too soon after annealing can cause
    stress cracks. Make sure all of the pale red heat has dissipated from
    your piece. I wait longer before I quench to be on the safe side, I
    tend to leave Argentium to rest for a good 20-30 seconds or so before
    I quench it. 

    There are a couple of other tips about working with Argentium on my
    website that you might find them useful:
    http://www.evamartin.com/diary/data/ic_blogs/6/ Some other sources I
    often refer to aRe: The official website for Argentium Sterling
    Silver: www.argentiumsilver.com 

    Cynthia's excellent article: www.cynthiaeid.com/Argentium_1-5.html
    An article on the Society of American Silversmiths website:
    www.silversmithing.com/1argentium.htm Trevor's Blog:
    www.touchmetal.com/blog/ 

Hope that helps,
Eva.
http://www.evamartin.com
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