[Jewelry making - Article 00433] - Re: [Orchid] Platinum enhanced sterling?

[leonid Surpin]

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    I want to thank everybody for providing sources, but I did not
    stated my questioned correctly in the first place so I will restate 
it
    now. 

    Victoria made a point that electrum was used in Ancient Egypt prior
    to Ancient Greece. Everything what I have read indicates that origin
    of this alloy cannot be dated to Ancient Egypt. Bellow are few
    examples: 

    According to Ancient Records of Egypt by James Henry Breasted all
    electrum in Ancient Egypt was imported. Here are some excerpts: 

    Punt, 80,000 measures of myrrh, [6,000]... of electrum, 2,600 [...]
    staves, [......] Every [statue] is overlaid on its body with electrum
    of Emu ..... necklaces, amulets, and pendants of real electrum,
    brought to his majesty from the south countries as their yearly
    impost 

    The first trading expedition in Ancient Egypt, recorded on the walls
    of tomb of Harkhuf, was dated to 2300 BC. It was spice-trading
    venture into Nubia. 

    The first expedition to Punt is dated to 1500 BC. Punt was the source
    of naturally occurring electrum. 

    Neither of Punt, nor Emu were technologically advanced, so the most
    likely scenario is that manufactured electrum was the result of
    trade between Phoenicia and these kingdoms. The whole timeline is
    contemporaneous with the height of Minoan Civilization. 

    Also electrum was the first metal used for coinage and the first
    coins were produce in Ionia dating to 650 BC. 

    There are numerous other examples indicating contemporaneous use but
    I am not aware of a single one, pinning down the claim that electrum
    was used in Ancient Egypt prior to Ancient Greece. 

    As a possible source of confusion, there was an alloy in Ancient
    Egypt called asem, recipe follows: 

    Manufacture of asem :Tin, 12 drachmas; quicksilver, 4 drachmas;
    earth of Chios, 2 drachmas. To the melted tin add the powdered earth,
    then add the mercury, stir with an iron, and put it into use. 

    Asem is also known under name of "eleetrum". This alchemical recipe
    was to make electrum from common components, but it does not
    indicate that electrum was used in Ancient Egypt prior to Ancient
    Greece. 

    My question is: 

    Does anybody know of a reference which pins down the proposition,
    and I mean dates, records, names, and etc, that Ancient Egypt was
    using electrum prior to Ancient Greece, and what was the name of that
    alloy which is now known as electrum ? As I mentioned before electrum
    has etymological roots indicating Greek origin. 

Leonid Surpin.
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