Entries Tagged 'Metal Series' ↓

Gold-filled seems to be one of the metals that most people know little about. It is gaining in popularity with the ever-increasing price of metal, so I would like to shed a little light on this useful and attractive metal.

Gold-filled is different from gold-plated, both in the way it is produced, and in its gold content. Gold-filled is made by heat bonding/fusing a layer of gold to a base metal (such as brass). Gold-plating, on the other hand, is made by electroplating a very thin layer of gold ions onto a base metal. The layer of gold in gold-filled metal is 50 to 10000 times thicker than the layer of gold on plated metals.

Gold-filled metal has its own special notation. A common gold-filled is called 12/20. This indicates that the metal is 1/20 12kt gold by weight. (I’ll save the discussion of gold karats for another time.)

The primary advantage of using gold-filled instead of solid gold is cost. Gold-filled usually only costs a bit more than sterling silver. The advantage of using gold-filled over gold-plated is that gold plating tends to wear off quickly. Gold-plated metals are not regulated in the United States, and they have no minimum required gold content, so the quality of gold-plated metals varies widely. Gold-filled is an affordable, quality, alternative to using solid gold.

Although I don’t have any gold-filled pieces currently listed in my shop, I do have some available for customers who prefer it.

A few links:
Increasing gold prices
Gold-filled on Wikipedia

There are so many alloys of brass that I couldn’t begin to even guess how many, so I’m going to focus on talking about the brass alloy I use in my work; it’s an alloy called C23000. (Also called 230.)

Brass 230 is also known as red brass, though to me it appears very yellow in color. It is an alloy commonly used in jewelry-making, and it contains 85% copper and 15% zinc. Many brass alloys used in industry (not typically used in jewelry-making) do contain lead, usually in a very small amount. Brass used for making hardware (such as locks and doorknobs) is likely to contain lead – the lead acts as lubrication in the machining process – something handcrafters tend to find unnecessary.

Brass is a relatively inexpensive metal (although of course its cost is rising along with the costs of other metals), and it is used in jewelry for its attractive yellow color. Brass does tarnish with time, but to a much lesser degree than copper. Brass is a little bit more difficult to work with than copper, gold, or silver, because it is harder, and it is more difficult to anneal (soften). These same properties make it very durable. Brass, like copper, can turn a wearer’s skin green over time, although not as efficiently as copper does.

Question of the Day: What is it about brass that you are just dying to know?

Oh, and by the way, the crab feed was a success. Come see the photos I took at the event!

For the third installment in my metal series, I’ve decided to talk about one of my favorite metals to work with: copper.

Unlike many of the metals used in jewelry-making copper is an elemental metal; it is not an alloy like sterling silver or brass. Polished copper has a wonderful color – kind of a pinkish orange. It’s also very malleable and easy to work with.

A lot of copper comes from the United States, and it is commonly used in wiring and plumbing. Its high electrical conductivity and ductility make it ideal for electrical wiring. In the past couple years, the price of copper has skyrocketed, making the theft of scrap copper a very popular crime. The high price of copper has also provoked the U.S. to pass a law in 2006 banning the melting of pennies and nickels for their metal. (Pennies prior to 1982 had a high copper content; pennies made since 1982 are zinc with a copper plating.)

Despite the recent increases in copper prices, copper is still a wonderful metal for practicing new metalsmithing skills, before trying them on more expensive metals like gold and silver.

One of the biggest drawbacks in using copper for jewelry is that it tarnishes so quickly. Tarnish can be reduced by storing the copper in a cool dry place, and copper can be fairly easily cleaned by soaking in vinegar. (Soak piece in vinegar for 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and dry thoroughly.) Copper jewelry also leaves green marks on the skin for some people. Some arthritis sufferers wear copper, because it is believed to alleviate arthritis symptoms.

Copper generally does not cause sensitivity issues for people, although as previously mentioned, it can leave green marks on the skin.

The second metal in my series of articles about metal is nickel silver. I’ve chosen to write about nickel silver because I feel that some of the names that are used for nickel silver tend to be misleading. Nickel silver is often sold as German silver or Alpaca silver, however it contains no silver at all.

Nickel silver is an alloy of nickel and copper, and sometimes zinc. Nickel silver is a bright silver-colored metal, and it is wonderful to use in jewelry-making because it is fairly soft, it can be work-hardened into a durable piece of jewelry, and it is an inexpensive alternative to silver. Nickel silver will tarnish with time, however it doesn’t seem to tarnish as much as traditional sterling silver. Nickel silver can be cleaned much in the same way as sterling silver (see my previous article on sterling).

The biggest drawback to nickel silver is that many people have a sensitivity to nickel. In fact, nickel is the most common metal that people are sensitive/allergic to. I like to use nickel silver in making pendants and chains, but I never use it for ear wires.

So next time you see something being sold as German silver or Alpaca silver, keep in mind that it does not contain any silver, and that it may cause allergy problems for some people.

Question of the Day: Does anyone know how I can set up WP-Polls on this blog? I really haven’t had any luck installing it.

In addition to my gemstone series, I’ve decided to start a series on various types of metal used in jewelry-making. My hope is that I can help to provide information that will assist my readers in making jewelry-buying decisions. When shopping for jewelry, whether it’s fine diamond jewelry or inexpensive costume jewelry, the type of metal used one of the most important things the buyer needs to know.

Sterling silver is the metal that I work with most often, so that is where I am going to begin my series.

Sterling silver is an alloy containing at least 92.5% silver. The other 7.5% is most often copper. There is a relatively new type of sterling silver alloy now available called Argentium(tm) that contains germanium in addition. Argentium(tm) is more resistant to tarnish than traditional sterling silver.

Sterling silver is a top choice among jewelry-makers for a plethora of reasons. First, it can be annealed easily (heated and then cooled quickly) so that is soft and fairly easy to work with. Second, it can be work-hardened so that the finished product is durable. Sterling silver jewelry, properly cared for, can be a family heirloom passed down for generations. Third, it is not plated or coated, and it has a uniform composition throughout. Fourth, sterling silver does not pose an allergy or sensitivity problem for most wearers. (Most metal allergies are to nickel-bearing alloys, and sterling silver does not contain nickel.) Last but not least, silver is a much more affordable metal than gold, making it much more accessible.

Sterling silver will tarnish with time. Sometimes this tarnish gives a nice patina, and can be desirable. Other pieces of sterling are best kept shiny and polished. The most ideal way to remove tarnish is the electrolytic method. The advantage of the electrolytic method is that it does not remove any of the silver. The disadvantage is that it should not be used on jewelry with certain delicate gemstones. Sterling silver can also be polished using a soft polishing cloth, silver polishing paste, or jewelry cleaner. Sterling silver can also be washed gently using a mild soap. White vinegar works well to remove tarnish from sterling silver. Some people even use ketchup to clean their silver. Please remember that gemstones and pearls should not be subjected to these cleaning and polishing methods.

Sterling silver should be stored in a dry, cool place, away from any kind of wood, to avoid tarnishing. Storing sterling silver in silvercloth (also known as pacific cloth), or in a small Ziplock bag works really well. Of course, jewelry should be stored in a manner that avoids damage.

Sterling silver that is worn next to the skin regularly will acquire a beautiful shine on its own.

Question of the Day: Do you have any questions about sterling silver, or anything that you would like to add?