Experience with platinum sterling

I’m sure some of you have experience with the various platinum
sterling alloys, and I’d like to know how it handles. Does it have
the same workability as sterling? How is the tarnish situation? I
would imagine that the melt and cast temperatures would have to be
higher than silver. This alloy intrigues me, but I would like to
know more about it before jumping in.

I work with Platinum/Silver alloys, but I make my own. I tried
commercial ones, do not remember company name, and did not like it.
Absolutely fantastic alloy is 60/30/10 been Silver/Gold/Platinum. If
you go commercial route, make sure that allow does not contain any
fancy ingredients.

Leonid Surpin

Leonid, when you are useing this silver Platinum material how do you
stamp it? I started useing the ABI alloy, and have been stamping it
925 and PLT, for the lack of info. I Emailed the company but never
heard back. I am curious to trying out the alloy you mention. The
ABI alloy castings have been a little pitty, but the metal has been
harder then regular sterling, with little firescale. I made myself a
ring and am wearing it for a test to see how durable it is. will
wear it for 30 days. I amintrested if anyone has any idea as to what
to stamp these peices as

thanks Hratch

Hratch,

In the US you cannot stamp it anything other than sterling. It is
not legal to mark anything with the platinum quality mark other than
alloys that are more than 500/1000 parts platinum. This has been one
of the stumbling blocks to wider acceptance of the platinum bearing
sterling alloys.

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

It is not legal to mark anything with the platinum quality mark
other than alloys that are more than 500/1000 parts platinum. 

850 parts per thousand in Australia according to the Australian
standard.

Regards Charles A.

Stamping, in this case, is easy as far as I can think of. One can
toss and turn it as much as you like, it is and will be.925 sterling
silver.

I know that it makes a big differents for having Pt instead of Cu as
an alloy but that doesn’t mean that you’re still working with
sterling silver…end of line and period.

Do you alter the stamp when you solder a ring because of the extra
Sn you add in the alloy? Do you have another stamp when using S88,
S57NA or other exotic alloy for you sterling silver?

Which stamp do you use for 14 kt white gold made with Pa, Pt or Ni
as alloy? Again, in that case it’s 14 kt…end of story. The price is
the different and the extra cost factor.

We like to draw the attention of customers to the special alloy we
are using but there is no legal way of “special” stamping as far as I
know for Europe.

It’s up to the jeweller to reach the customer with a clear message
that his alloy is not a plain silver/copper alloy but not with any
unlegal or misleading stamping trick.

Yes James, I agree, you’re spot on with your estatement! Enjoy and
have fun

Pedro

Leonid, when you are useing this silver Platinum material how do
you stamp it? 

You can’t. At least not in USA. It is an area where Law falls short
of common sense.

Leonid Surpin

thanks James for the info in the Plt/sterling alloy stamping. i am
guessing the same stands for the Palladium /silver alloys too?

Atelier Hratch Babikian
contemporary Jewelery and sculpture

Pedro,

Beautifully said! The amount of precious metal in the metal
determines how it is stamped, not whatever alloy might be in it.

Simple!

Jay Whaley

thanks James for the info in the Plt/sterling alloy stamping. i am
guessing the same stands for the Palladium /silver alloys too? 

Yes, in fact as far as the guides from the FTC go there is no
on stamping any palladium alloy. They only cover gold,
silver and platinum pure metals and alloys.

Sterling is only marked sterling or 925 no matter what the remaining
7.5 % is composed of.

The Guides could use an updating to cover mixed metal products and
palladium for sure.

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

Sterling is only marked sterling or 925 no matter what the
remaining 7.5 % is composed of. 

Which I think is excellent, in that new alloy can be created, that
could benefit our industry.

However I would think that with a custom alloy, a small caveat could
be added to let the jeweller know what he’s in for.

For example imagine 925 ppt fine silver and the remainder lead in an
alloy, I’d want to know that the lead was in there.

Regards Charles A.

For example imagine 925 ppt fine silver and the remainder lead in
an alloy, I'd want to know that the lead was in there. 

Lead as an alloy with silver will render the resultant metal totally
useless. It will break like dry spaghetti.

Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co.

Lead as an alloy with silver will render the resultant metal
totally useless. It will break like dry spaghetti. 

Exactly, unless there’s another element in there also.

It was a gross example, used to highlight a point.

I’d prefer to work with known alloys than mystery metal (although I
do work with ferrous mystery metal for fun and profit :wink: ).

Regards Charles A.

We see rings in our shop that are stamped “P4” and “P2SR” and even
"Platinia". We have gotten conflicting about just how
much platinum is actually in these items. Typically the customer
purchased these at chain jewelry stores or while on a cruise ship,
and were led to believe that these rings were somehow special. Then
they find out no one will size them. We think it is sad that folks
are being sold this kind of junk. We size them with sterling, after
explaining to the customer that they do not have a platinum ring for
the price of sterling, and it works fine. We are a busy shop and not
well equipped to spend time trying to match some unknown alloy for a
$25 sizing job.

Peggy Wilson
Harbor Jewelers

Exactly, unless there's another element in there also. 

No not really, any amount of lead in silver beyond single digit ppm
quantities makes for a finicky crack prone alloy.

I'd prefer to work with known alloys than mystery metal 

This is one of the biggest problems with “new” alloys, the repair
jeweler gets it in hand and it can be a disaster.

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

This is one of the biggest problems with "new" alloys, the repair
jeweler gets it in hand and it can be a disaster. 

Exactly my point, but you’ve put is very concisely. :slight_smile: CIA

In our shop we also see P4, Platina 4, and now Lux 3. These are all
basically sterlilng with a few crumbs of the other metals (gold,
platinum, palladium) thrown in so that they can be marketed at a
higher price. You can purchase sizing stock for the P4 from it’s
manufacturer Star Ring Co., but using sterling silver and medium
silver solder works just fine.

Charlie