935 Silver wire supplier

On Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:54:32 GMT in rec.crafts.jewelry Mizz Patty
, intended to write something intelligible, but
instead wrote :

The European connection with 935 silver became really evident as I
googled the 'net. Mostly, the results were for antique silver, often
said to be European and stamped "935".

Many (oh so many) moons ago, I melted silver recovered from photographic
solutions .. in an open crucible, then poured it out on soapstone in the
form of a rough bar. It didn't seem to suffer from much oxidation. It
was then used by a teacher who made turquoise jewelry.

If we were to finally get that furnace we "need" I suppose we could,
with a large dose of ingenuity, protect the alloy with an inert gas like
argon. I've also heard that a borax flux on the surface keeps it
reduced, but I've never actually tried it. Geez, I wonder if any of the
folks on r.c.jewelry actually attempt to make their own alloys?

I do a lot of work in fine (.9999) silver. No alloy.
It's a royal pain in the ass to fuse it, but I think it's pretty and
it works really easily. FWIW

Frosty

Mizz Patty wrote:

Howdy neighbor!

Carl 1 Lucky Texan wrote:


Wow, I've done that Viking wire weaving (vanson) before. I STILL have
some unfinished in niobium I need to work on.


Holy moley! I've seen niobium jewelry, but never had any. All I know is
that niobium ("the element formerly known as columbium") is really rare,
costs a bunch and is used in the space shuttle main engines because of
it's refractory properties ... and looks way cool as jewelry!


I THINK the Argentium type sterlings could work becuase you could
periodically (and after finishing) anneal them when they get
work-hardened without much oxidation.


I noticed that Argentium alloy was considered a bit stiff to work with,
compared to common sterling. If you've worked with it, is Argentium's
anti-tarnishing properties as good as is claimed? It might be a
preferred form of sterling then ...


And fine silver may not be too fragile anyway - though I haven't worked
with it.
interesting


Patty in Dallas


While the number of sources for niobium are small compared to 'normal'
jewelry metals, it's available and affordable in sheet and wire.

I did manage to viking weave some titanium, but I had to wear a leather
glove on my left hand and work in 'single knit'. The niobium is MUCH
easier - more like copper - to work and I am able to 'double knit' it.

I have not worked with the 'low-tarnish' silver - just wondering if it
would be less hassle to do periodic annealing.

Carl


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