Metal Facts
What is Argentium silver?
Argentium silver is a sterling silver alloy that contains more silver (93.5%) than the regular amount found in the traditional sterling silver (92.5%). The added germanium in the alloy made it more tarnish resistant and allowed it to be fused to any metal.
Argentium silver is the primary silver alloy that Popnicute Jewelry has chosen for the advantages it has over the traditional sterling alloy. I’m sure you, as an art collector, would appreciate the properties that Argentium silver have to offer. Although, due to the designs, styles, and the malleability factor, you will find that Popnicute Jewelry would also add fine silver and the traditional sterling as well as copper and brass in its designs.
Learn more about Argentium silver, copper and brass in the informative snippets below.
Argentium silver
- Purer. Argentium’s 935 and 960 grades set new purity standards for silver. Argentium’s make up is: 93.5% silver, 1.2% germanium, 6.3% copper
- Brighter. Argentium Silver is brighter and whiter than platinum, white gold, palladium and traditional Sterling.
- Naturally beautiful. Argentium silver does not require plating and is the natural colour of pure silver.
- Tarnish resistant. Argentium Silver is low maintenance, easy to care for and simple to keep clean.
- Hypoallergenic. Argentium is a better suited for those who are unable to wear traditional sterling silver.
- Responsible. Argentium Silver is made from ethically sourced silver.
Copper
- Pure. Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu. Atomic Number: 29. Atomic Weight: 63.546 amu (atomic mass unit).
- Cultural. The Egyptians used the ankh symbol to denote copper in their system of hieroglyphs. It also represented eternal life.
- Oldest. Copper is one of the oldest metals known to civilization, dating back more than 10,000 years. A copper pendant discovered in what is now northern Iraq has been dated to about 8,700 B.C. Its uses and contributions continue to grow.
- Natural color. Copper is the only metal other than gold that has natural color. Other metals are either gray or white.
Brass
- Alloy. Brass is a metal composed primarily of copper and zinc. Copper is the main component, and brass is usually classified as a copper alloy.
- Merlin’s Gold. Brass is also known as Merlin’s Gold or Fool’s Gold for its color that’s similar to gold.
- Stronger. Brass is stronger and harder than copper, but not as strong or hard as steel.
- Malleable. Brass is easy to form into various shapes, a good conductor of heat, and generally resistant to corrosion from salt water.
- Relatively new. The process for combining metallic copper and zinc to make brass was patented in England in 1781.