[Jewelry making - Article 00424] - Re: [Orchid] Platinum enhanced sterling?

[JanetB]

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>     Oppi Untracht wrote a book, Jewelry Concepts and Techniques that I
>     consider a bible of jewelry information. His book refers to
>     electrum as 80% gold and 20% silver, and is a pale yellow color. 

    1. To be exact, Oppi wrote "approximately 80% gold and 20% silver".
    Since these were naturally occuring alloys, they would of course
    vary considerably from region to region and from different periods. 

    2. 'Electrum' is a name given by the Greeks (7th c. BC). Thus,
    cultures prior to the Greeks also using naturally occurring local
    ores simply would not have called them 'electrum'....:-)..... 

    3. Naturally occurring gold/silver ores generally contain AT LEAST
    20% silver. Etruscan gold (6th and 7th c. BC) was 60-67% Au, 30% Ag,
    3-8% Cu, and up to 2% trace elements (Walters, Gold Bulletin 14-3). 

    4. The oldest granulated jewelry was from Ur (Sumerian) from
    2560-2400BC and in all likelihood was done with a naturally
    occurring Au/Ag alloy. 

Janet in Jerusalem
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