Copper and silver bilmetal

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi Everyone,

I’m interested in building some work form copper/silver bimetal.
Does anyone know where I can buy the material - and who manufactures
it- and what the specifications of the composition actually are. I
tried Hauser and Miller and they are not familiar with it - but there
is work out there being made so somewhere it must be available.

Thanks in advance for any help.
Christine Mackellar
@Christine_Mackellar

2

Christine, I bought copper and silver bimetal from Reactive Metal
Studios to use in etching and would definitely recommend you contact
them.

I don’t know if etching is your intended use, but if it is, a word
of caution. The silver appears to be far thicker than the copper in
the bimetal combination. When I used ferric chloride to etch away
the copper everywhere that my design on PnP paper did not protect it,
the result was just beautiful – a clean-edged copper spiral on a
silver background. However, when I tried to use ferric nitrate to
etch through the silver to the copper (I wanted a silver design on a
copper background that time) it didn’t work. Actually, I got a nice
etching on the silver, but as the silver was far thicker than the
copper, it never etched all the way through to the copper.
Furthermore, the ferric nitrate began to eat away at the underside of
the piece and the copper back began to look pretty ragged until
cleaned up with sandpaper. It didn’t spoil the piece, though.

Mona

3 
I'm interested in building some work form copper/silver bimetal.
Does anyone know where I can buy the material -

Try Reactive Metals Studio-

Lee Einer
Dos Manos Jewelry
http://www.dosmanosjewelry.com

4

Christine,

Reactive Metals in Clarkdale, AZ has copper/sterling bi-metal.
Their number is 800-876-2323 or www.reactivemetals.com

Janice

5

Hi Christine-- I’ve bought copper/silver bimetal a couple of times
over the years from Metaliferous in New York City. I’ve only seen
it in 22 gauge sheet. The last time I bought some there, which was
about two years ago the salesperson told me the I was getting the
last of the bunch and that it was made over 20 years before. It was
pretty old and tarnished. I too like the stuff; if you ever run
across any more please drop me a line. Good Luck.

Mark Kaplan in Providence; who is looking forward to his first
orchid get-together.

6

Thank you Janice! Word of mouth does us more good then all the
advertizing dollars we spend.

	FYI
	Copper sterling Bi-Metals is available in
	24ga (.020"/0.51mm) $3.12/sqin
	18ga (.040"/1.01mm) $6.24/sqin

Bill

Reactive Metals Studio, Inc.
PO Box 890 * 600 First North St. * Clarkdale, AZ 86324
Ph-928/634-3434 * Ph-800/876-3434 * Fax-928/634-6734
E-mail- info@reactivemetals.com
Catalog- www.reactivemetals.com

7

Christine,

Copper-fine silver Bi-Metal is available from Unique Solutions, Inc.
Note that it is FINE SILVER-Copper and not some of the other
combinations offered. It is offered in 4" x 12" sheets. Please
contact me off forum for more

Beth Katz
Paste and Powder Solder for Jewelers and Metalsmiths
http://www.myuniquesolutions.com