It's fine silver, which is 99.9% pure silver, unlike sterling, which is alloyed with copper and usually nickel. Contrary to popular belief, fine silver can be used for jewelry. It starts out quite soft and bendy, but can be "work hardened" to hold its shape. I'm so excited about this! I've wanted to make nice, heavy, real chains for years, but was too intimidated by the process. Fine silver is much easier to work with that sterling. Anne Mitchell showed me this when I was in Tucson. I can't wait to go back and take the Anne and Kate class, to learn more. Let's all go!
2 comments:
Well done on that chain Kim !! Its very nice, I didn't know that about sterling silver. Yes, wish I could go too !!! Michelle
Hey Kim - love that chain - very organic. did you Fuse it? That is one of the primary reasons I LOVE fine silver (besides it't purity that is). Just a little heat and you're good to go. This is an excellent material for weaving fused links into chain.
FYI - sterling is actually an alloy of Silver(Ag) , Copper (Cu) & Zink (zn).
Nasty nickel would make it much harder and drag it down into the base metal alloy category. I had to learn long ago about really asking several times when being sold 'silver' beads or jewelry here in Santa Fe - after about the fourth time asking, i'd finally get "well it's Nickel Silver" - which IS NOT silver at all. Grrrrrr.
Hey i used to live in Carson City too. A sorta dark time in my life - ~89-91; but i had a sister who was a sr. vet tech there and i was involved with a recording studio in reno and opened a record store in carson. Did you ever eat Nick's Brick Oven Pizza? OMG - "you want fast - you don't call a Nick!"
xxoo
~holly www.i-feel-pretty.com
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