$19.99 MINIMUM ORDER WITHOUT SHIPPING
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$19.99 MINIMUM ORDER WITHOUT SHIPPING |
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STERLING
SILVER THE REAL NITTY GRITTY First lets
establish exactly what sterling silver is, Sterling silver is and alloy of
silver that should contain 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metal. Usually the
other metal is copper. Fine silver is pure silver and should be 99.9% silver.
Pure silver is to soft to shape and
stamp into jewelry parts or jewelry beads. A note
about fine silver: Unlike sterling silver (which contains 92.5% pure silver and
7.5% copper), fine silver is very resistant to tarnishing. When you hear terms like, "German Silver, "Indian Silver”, "Mexican Silver", or "Montana Silver," keep in mind that here is no guarantee of the silver content of these items. In my research, I did find out that "German Silver" is another name for the alloy of Nickel, Copper, and Zinc and is usually referred to as Nickel Silver. Even though the name denotes silver, there is usually no silver content Stampings
on your Silver and what they mean: Sterling
components and jewelry made in the USA are often stamped "Sterling." Goods
made for international trade are often marked "925" indicating the
92.5% fineness. "Coin"
silver is used in some countries and could be marked "900" or
"800" depending on fineness. In
many countries, precious metal must be stamped with a quality mark such
as "925" for sterling. Some countries require jewelry of precious
metal be submitted to a governmental assay office for destructive testing,
however there are no regulations in the United States REGIONAL
SILVER MAKERS Bali
- Bali silver is sterling silver mixed with pewter for a grayer ton. The
proportion of pewter should not be more than 7.5%. Bali silver is prized for its
intricate detail and great silversmithing. Bali artisans have passed the family
tradition of silver beadmaking through generations. They construct their beads,
pendants and other jewelry components with silver from regional mines. They
usually combine their silver with small amounts of copper. Be
aware that there are now many cheaper imitations of Bali style silver on the
market, most of which are cast (or "molded") instead of fabricated by
hand. So they are usually heavier and the detail is not as intricate, so pay
close attention to detail and intricacy when you buy Bali Silver to make sure
you are getting what you pay for. Thai
Silver- Thai Hill Tribe Silver originates from various regions in Northern
Thailand, near the borders of, Laos and Burma
(Myanmar). The silversmiths of Northern Thailand have built their lives around
silver, mining it and crafting it. Hill Tribe Silversmiths like Bali artisans
create every facet of their components by hand. Tips
to help you with your purchases: German
silver can be scratched with a copper coin and there is no silver content.
Usually German silver is a mixture of copper, zinc and nickel. Indian
silver is usually mixed with lead and copper, it is heavier is weight, which
gives it a more solid feel Mexican
silver is usually mixed with copper and the sterling content may vary. Nickel
silver does not contain any silver at all. Pewter
does not contain any silver but does contain a silver white metallic element
that does not tarnish. Thai silver should contain .925 silver content Turkish
silver is Sterling silver mixed with cadmium. Cadmium makes the silver
lightweight and tarnish resistant. If
you will be purchasing a large amount of silver from a dealer you haven’t
bought from before, it may benefit you to purchase a Nitric acid test kit, it is
very portable, since it is only a single bottle. These kits are quite reliable
for determining if an item is silver or if it contains no silver. Although these
kits won’t tell you what the other metal is it definitely will tell you what
the metal is not. Purchase the smallest amount of an item from the dealer and
make a slight nick in a hidden spot. Nicking the item will also let you know if
you are purchasing plated item or not. It will also cut through any lacquer that
may be on the piece. Use a small file to nick an area, then place a drop of your
acid on that area. When testing pure silver you should get a creamy color,
Sterling Silver will test a hue darker but you should get a cream color. You
should only do this test when you have access to water since you will need it to
rinse your items when you are finished. Once you’ve finished testing the piece
if it is real sterling you should be able to buff out any of the slight whitish
or grayish discoloration the chemical leaves. Having
a retail store where I resale my sterling, I feel obligated and compelled to be
knowledgeable about what I am selling. I always purchase my sample pieces from
the vendors I may buy from, perform my test and then do my bulk buying. This
test has helped me definitely eliminate and add a host of vendors to my roster. ©This article is copyrighted use with permission
"BEAD FIND 2001" These are some pictures of our
6,000 lb vintage bead find in 2001 in the Northeast. After following lead after
lead, Susie finally made the "deal of the century" in vintage
beads.
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