Argentium™ sterling silver makes great, tarnish-resistant jewelry components!
Rings & Things was one of the first places to have findings made in Argentium™. We have a good selection and a lot of information about this product. (Thank you to those who’ve complimented us for this!) Here’s a bit about why Argentium is so great for your jewelry:
What is it? Argentium is sterling silver with a small amount of germanium used in the alloy. This unprecedented, patented material is redefining the jewelry industry. Argentium sterling silver has dramatically better tarnish resistance than standard sterling silver and is much more durable. While it still contains the 92.5% fine silver legally required for sterling, Argentium replaces about 1% of the normal copper content in sterling with germanium, significantly altering the alloy’s properties.
Why is it so great? Argentium is:
- Tarnish resistant: A light dusting or occasional wipe with a soft cloth is all you need to keep its shine. The resistance actually increases over time (the germanium atoms migrate to the surface, which allows the protective germanium oxide layer to regenerate).
- Resistant to dents, scratches and abrasion.
- Better for the environment because it doesn’t develop firescale (a reddish patina) when heated, which eliminates processes that use hazardous materials needed to strip firescale from standard sterling materials.
- Laser weldable, opening new design possibilities.
- Can be hardened (through thermal conditioning) to be almost twice as tough as standard sterling.
Also, both sterling silver and Argentium sterling silver should be equally unlikely to bother the ears of most people.
What Argentium findings can you get? Rings & Things makes many Argentium findings:
We also carry Argentium wire.
Check out our great selection of jewelry parts in this neat new alloy. We think you’ll love it! Enjoy browsing our free Design Gallery for all kinds of jewelry designs using Argentium, like this “Pearls of Wisdom” necklace:
Do you have a favorite Argentium component? Looking for more? Drop a note below!
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5 Comments
I have a little bit of Argentium wire and have noticed that even though I’ve had it longer than my sterling wire, it has stayed quite bright and the sterling is a bit duller. I’m really glad you carry Argentium components, too. I was concerned about having to mix it with sterling components but didn’t realize I didn’t have to when I bought it.
Is Argentium difficult to manipulate? i.e., is it similar to sterling silver; harder than dead soft; etc.? Thanks.
Hi SusanSW, the info I have is that Argentium wire is easy to manipulate–apparently comparable to sterling in this respect too.
Any craft jewelers here have experiences of Argentium wire to share here?
We carry argentium wire in dead soft and half hard tempers, just as we do with original sterling wire. There is little difference with working the two versions in the same size/temper.
Thanks for pitching in, Hutch.
So argentium has pretty much all the positive qualities of sterling, and then some…