Argentium Tarnishing Experience

Hi All,

I had the experience of many of my argentium earrings discoloring
while I was doing some summer shows this July in the very hot, humid
weather. They were fine until customers handled them at which point
they got very brown especially where the fingerprints were. I tried
wiping them off with a Wright’s polishing cloth and it did absolutely
nothing. I even tried a small piece of fine scotchbrite and it would
not remove the brown. These were pieces that were all cold connected

  • no soldering. I am wondering if the Argentium had never been
    activated and that is why I had the problem? I am concerned about
    what to tell my customers as far as maintenance and I don’t want to
    have to clean every piece after every show. I thought about heating
    the metal before I cut out the pieces but somewhere I thought I read
    or heard that the metal was being heat treated before being sold. If
    there are any Rio or Stuller or Hoover and Strong people on this
    forum maybe they could respond or what say the Argentium Gods??

G. Stokes

I tried wiping them off with a Wright's polishing cloth and it did
absolutely nothing. 

I also learned that Wright’s polishing cream does not work with
Argentium Sterling. Try an ionic cleaner or Tarni-Shield (3M)

Nancy___

I tried wiping them off with a Wright's polishing cloth and it
did absolutely nothing. 

Have you tried Goddard’s cloths? At one point they were the
recommended cloths per the ArgentiumSterling.com site and I’ve
certainly been pleased with the results I’ve had from them. I include
a section of a Goddard’s Long Term Silver Polishing Cloth with each
item I sell and the customers have always had good things to say
about them.

FWIW I’ve posted about these on the blog. See the following:

I think Cynthia also mentions them in her (excellent) paper on
Argentium Sterling:

http://www.cynthiaeid.com/argentium_1-5.html

Cheers,
Trevor F.
in The City of Light
Visit TouchMetal.com at http://www.touchmetal.com

I tried wiping them off with a Wright’s polishing cloth and it did
absolutely nothing.

I also learned that Wright's polishing cream does not work with
Argentium Sterling. Try an ionic cleaner or Tarni-Shield (3M) 

Hi, As has been discussed in my articles, Trevor’s blog, and Orchid,
Goddard’s Long Shine Silver Care Cloth is the “icing on the cake”
when it comes to Argentium Sterling’s tarnish resistance. It is the
recommended final step for work made in Argentium Sterling
Silver----especially if no heat has been used on the silver. Here’s a
link to the Goddard’s site, where you can buy them individually, or
by the case: Home - Goddard's

The cloths are so large, that I cut them in 1/2 or quarters, to give
to clients with custom work. Since I use a “pinking shears” (leaves a
zig-zag edge) the cloth looks like a full new piece.

One suggestion: The cloth comes in a cardboard box. I think it wise
to store the cloth in a plastic bag, to preserve its chemicals.

By the way, I’ve used the liquid solution, as well, on deeply
textured silver. (I assume that the chemicals are approximately the
same.)

Cynthia Eid

Have you tried Goddard's cloths? 

I want to jump in here and say how great the Goddard’s Long Shine
cloths are. I can’t say yet whether they protect better against
tarnish than others, but they really polish things up amazingly.
Much better, IMO, than Sunshine cloth. I would put them in the same
category as Tarnishield (liquid silver polish) which I really really
like.

Noel

Hello Grace,

I am wondering if the Argentium had never been activated and that
is why I had the problem? I thought about heating the metal before
I cut out the pieces but somewhere I thought I read or heard that
the metal was being heat treated before being sold. If there are
any Rio or Stuller or Hoover and Strong people on this forum maybe
they could respond or what say the Argentium Gods?? 

Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner but I wanted to make sure I
was giving accurate info.

Rio Grande’s Argentium raw materials are not heat activated.
Argentium raw materials are typically activated in one way or
another by the end user, rendering a manufacturing activation
process useless, unfortunately your situation is different.

Rio Grande’s new Argentium findings, or finished components, are
activated.

I don’t have any answers as to why your Argentium acted the way it
did but I think Cynthia’s technical paper and experience as well as
Trevor’s experience and blog hold most of the answers.

Sincerely,

Thackeray Taylor
Rio Grande Technical Sales and Support
800-545-6566 ex 13903
technical@tbg.riogrande.com

Thackeray,

Rio Grande's Argentium raw materials are not heat activated. 

Are you sure nothing has been done to the milled argentium? the
early Argentium I bought from Rio would not melt a ball on the end of
the wire no matter what I did - except heat treat it. Now all the
milled argentium I buy from your company melts like a dream.
Something has changed - for the good Donna

SilverSorceress Designs
Unique, handcrafted Silver and Gemstone Jewelry
http://www.silversorceress.com

Hi Trevor,

I am glad you responded to my post because I actually made a mistake
when I said Wright’s polising cloth - I was using Goddards’s and it
did absolutely nothing??

G. Stokes

Thank you to all who read my post regarding the tarnishing
experience. I want to make a correction to what I said. I mistakenly
said I used a Wright’s polishing cloth when I actually did use the
Goddard’s Long Shine cloth. As everyone has had great results with
that cloth, I am now really puzzled as to why it did not remove the
tarnish and stains?

G. Stokes

Hi Donna,

Are you sure nothing has been done to the milled argentium? the
early Argentium I bought from Rio would not melt a ball on the end
of the wire no matter what I did - except heat treat it. Now all
the milled argentium I buy from your company melts like a dream.
Something has changed - for the good 

I do know that Stern-Leach is constantly working to improve the
manufacturing process—so, you are correct that things have changed
for the better. I do think that it is wise to assume that, for
optimal tarnish resistance, some heat should be applied to the
Argentium Sterling. It can be as simple as 20 minutes in a toaster
oven at 250 F.

Note that all of the other wonderful properties of AS—no
firescale, weldability and easy fusing, ductility and
malleability—are unaffected by any of this. The tarnish resistance
is a bonus, to my mind! Personally, I was thrilled just with the idea
of no firescale without having to apply flux allover all the time.

Cynthia Eid

OK Thackeray Taylor,

I’ll bite. How can we learn more about these new Argentium
findings?? I haven’t opened up the new catalog, so you’ll probably
tell me to look there :slight_smile:

Judy in Kansas

Hi Grace,

I think the cloth is meant for prevention of tarnish and removal of
light tarnish. The liquid has more abrasives.

Cynthia Eid

Personally, I was thrilled just with the idea of no firescale
without having to apply flux allover all the time. 

Cynthia - I agree - I would buy Argentium sterling for this one
thing alone! It is wonderfully freeing not to have to worry and
wonder if firescale will appear on your finished piece. Donna

SilverSorceress Designs
http://www.silversorceress.com

Hey Judy,

What catalogue are you referring to?? I have recently found a source
of Argentium findings, are Rio doing them now?? I would really
appreciate your reply

Best wishes
Tina
Cork, Ireland

Tina,

Rio has 2 pages (4 AND 5) of Argentium findings in the 2006-07
catalog. They include head pins, eye pins, jump rings, ear wires and
round discs.

Best, Ann Ruhnka

Ann Ruhnka
Rio Grande
aruhnka@tbg.riogrande.com

Hello Judy,

I'll bite. How can we learn more about these new Argentium
findings?? I haven't opened up the new catalog, so you'll probably
tell me to look there :-) 

Sorry I didn’t get back to you quicker. Yes the new catalog, or
phone book as we like to call it these days, page 4 & 5. We have
beads, head pins, eye pins, jumprings, ear wires, and discs.
Actually, it makes perfect sense to have findings in Argentium. I
can’t tell you how many retailers and stringers call wanting a quick
and easy way to remove tarnish from strung items. There really is no
easy way, prevention is my mantra, but that’s not possible in most
retail environments.

Sincerely,

Thackeray Taylor
Rio Grande Technical Sales and Support
800-545-6566 ex13903
technical@tbg.riogrande.com

Thank you Thackeray Taylor.

I’ve been babysitting my two grandchildren (2 & 4 yrs), so hadn’t
even bothered unwrapping the catalog when it arrived. Now that
they’re gone, I can sit down with it and learn what’s new. Great
stuff, as usual. It’s going to be great to have access to the beads
and findings in Argentium silver.

Judy in Kansas