Charlie's Chaincraft
Custom Chain Jewelry Crafted the Old World Way,
by Hand, with Care and Mind the Details
TARNISH-RESISTANT – KEEPS ITS SHINE
Imagine a sterling silver that simply stays bright and beautiful for weeks,
months, for years – without the need to polish it. Argentium™ Sterling Silver
is highly tarnish-resistant. It does require an occasional wipe with a soft cloth
to keep its lasting shine.

Invented in 1996 by Peter Johns, a professor of silversmithing at England’s
Middlesex University, Argentium® Sterling Silver, like traditional sterling
silver, is at least 92.5 percent pure silver. But unlike traditional sterling,
which is 7.5 percent copper, Argentium sterling has a small amount of
germanium instead of some of the copper.
Argentium® Sterling silver is a registered trademark. When marking a piece
made with Argentium sterling, the only legal requirement is to stamp it as
“925” or “sterling silver,”sinceArgentium sterling is sterling silver. At some
point in the future,Argentium sterling suppliers and manufacturers will supply
stamps with the Argentium® sterling mark or the artwork necessary to make
tags or stamps.
Some people who were unable to wear
traditional sterling silver jewelry because of
skin reactions find that they are able to
wear Argentium® Sterling Silver without any
problems.
Who Else Has Been Using Argentium® Sterling Silver? Some large jewelry
manufacturers, including Tiffany, Jacmel and New England Sterling, as well as
Magic Novelty (headpins, ear wires, jump rings and eye pins) and Hallmark
Sweet (beads) are selling products made in Argentium® Sterling Silver.The
World Poker Tour Invitational tournament trophy was made from Argentium®
Sterling Silver
What is Germanium
Germanium oxide is preferential—the germanium oxide forms so readily and
easily that it forms before the copper and silver are able to oxidize.
Germanium is highly reactive. In chemistry and physics, the definition of
reactive is: Tending to participate readily in reactions This makes sense when
we remember that germanium is not found as a separate element in nature.
Even the surface of pure germanium has a very thin layer of germanium dioxide
.
Germanium oxide (GeO2) is somewhat transparent and whitish. When it forms
on the surface of Argentium® Sterling Silver, it prevents tarnish. Tarnish is
not an oxide; it is silver and copper sulfide. Tarnish occurs when silver is
exposed to sulfur-containing compounds. The sulfur may be in the air or it may
be in a chemical that is applied to the silver. There can be many contributing
factors that can cause an alloy to tarnish: environmental conditions, perfume,
deodorant, chemicals used in manufacture, solder temperature, packaging, 10
skin conditions,water, sulfur or chlorine. Germanium, being a “mobile”
metalloid, readily migrates to the surface. In this context, the word mobility
describes the movement of the electrons within a solid. Germanium constantly
diffuses to the surface where it combines with oxygen and forms a thin layer
of germanium oxide (GeO2). This thin, nearly transparent layer of germanium
oxide is impervious to oxygen,
Sterling silver has come of age - with the invention of
Argentium™ Sterling Silver, the most important advance
in silver technology in modern times. Unlike standard
sterling silver, Argentium™ Sterling Silver is virtually
tarnish-free and stays how silver was meant to be:
forever beautiful.
updated 10-27-07
updated 6-1-08
Argentium Fabrication Charges             X        0-5oz         6-11oz        12-24oz     25-49oz      50-99oz    100-199oz    200-499oz     500+oz
Standard Sterling Fabrication Charges