I started using Argentium® Sterling silver quite a few years back as I had heard that it was tarnish resistant and that it was not prone to fire stain. I was happy to discover that these were indeed true. Fire stain completely disappeared as a problem and the pieces I made, while not totally free from tarnish, were resistant to tarnish to a great degree.
It has other properties that are of interest to me as a craftsman and some that are of interest to anyone purchasing Sterling silver jewelry.
Argentium® Silver is very white and very bright and comes in two alloys - one .935 and the other .960 pure, both of which are purer than traditional Sterling silver.
Argentium® Silver is hypoallergenic. Because it contains no nickel, it can be worn by those who are sensitive to traditional Sterling for that reason.
Argentium® Silver is made from 100% recycled silver making it a responsible choice from an environmental point of view.
Argentium® Silver is easy to care for. It should simply be wiped with a clean soft cloth or washed with warm soapy water and dried immediately. Occasional use of a silver polishing cloth will also help keep the lustre and shine.
As a craftsman, I was delighted to find that this alloy could be fused, that is, elements of a piece of jewelry can be attached to one another without the use of solder. While I do not use this technique excessively, it is very useful in certain constructions. It can also be hardened in a regular oven through a process called heat precipitation. While it is not necessary or always possible to use this process, some hardening occurs naturally during the process of heating the work during construction. I do utilize the heat precipitation process to harden my jewelry, when possible, to add an additional degree of durability.
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