[Jewelry making - Article 00310] - Re: [Orchid] Platinum enhanced sterling?

[Victoria Lansford]

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

    Electrum dates back to the ancient Egyptians (long before the
    Greeks) and was both naturally occurring and alloyed. Thin sheets
    were often used to gild objects and sculpture, including possibly the
    pyramidal tops of obelisks, so that they would reflect brilliantly in
    the sun. I don't know how it received its Latin name along the way.
    Why do we call loop in loop chains 'Roman'? 

    What I was taught and my own experience with electrum is that the
    alloy should never be a perfect 50/50% split. It should be 51% and
    49%, divided either way. (Of course this gets into stamping content
    issues.) If made 50/50, it work hardens too quickly and is very
    brittle. Tipping the balance even just a hair makes the alloy butter
    to work with, but it work hardens unexpectedly well, considering it
    is made up solely of fine metal. Working with electrum made it easy
    for me to understand why people were so drawn to alchemy in the past.
    Such alloying can seem magical. 

    The color range is pale green gold to warm silver, to pale yellow. It
    works well for high karat granulation where a contrast of granules
    and background is required and also for fused bezels. 

Victoria
Victoria Lansford
http://www.victorialansford.com
____________________________________________________________________
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
____________________________________________________________________