First pair of Argentium silver earrings

This was the first time I used Argentium silver and I think it’s better than the sterling. One thing I noticed was it didn’t have firescale after soldering (I soldered the ear pin after drilling the holes and all the surfaces remained as shiny as before). The finish was also easier and it was more consistent throughout the surface.

I want to ask your opinion on this pair that I just finished. It’s set with swarovski stones (2mm).

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These are exquisite! Beautifully done.

Denny

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Those are really beautiful!

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Lovely design, great craftsmanship!

Neil

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Oh, thank you! I didn’t exactly expect this kind of feedback as I am still a beginner (almost 4 years since I’ve started learning). Planning on opening a small studio but for now it is still for friends only :blush: this gives me hope customers might like what I do. Thanks again!

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Very nice work.

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That is such a wonderful setting job that I find myself wanting to see it even closer! I wonder what our resident old timers would say about bead setting in silver, as I think I’ve heard that it doesn’t wear well. I doubt that that is completely true. I would think that set as yours are within this rim it will wear very well. Would love to see more of your work. I think you are ready for prime time! I’m quite impressed! -royjohn

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Careful with Argentium… do not overwork it ( acid, polishing, sand or bead blasting, etc) after casting as it sheds easily its germanium content, leaving mostly silver on the surface… then it can tarnish as usual. Your setting is fantastic and don’t worry, it will last. But… why spend so much time on fake stones Practicing?

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Thank you for your feedback.

Yes, still practicing. But if it were you, what stones would you choose instead? Diamonds?

As for Argentium, from my limited experience, it looks better than sterling (when finished is almost like platinum) and is more fire friendly.

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Nice practicing… you could look for fancy colored sapphires and use low carat gold.

Soldering post is somewhat tricky with silver and these wear off quickly. Better to use gold post as a safety measure for long lasting earrings (done this since day one), while it adds $20 on invoice but customers love the fact they won’t be allergic to.

When you start and get known for working with silver and fake, then you get that low end type of customers. If you do this for practicing purpose, then you’re on the right track. Go on! You can’t afford gold… go for platinum. It’s cheaper that 18K and/or palladium.

If you wanna continue with Argentium for its softness and ease of finishing, then consider rhodium plating as germanium silver is not everlasting.

Cheers!

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They’re fantastic! I’ve only ever used Argentium wire, but I love it for anything with a balled end (it makes a nice smooth ball, doesn’t crinkle like sterling), and it’s easy to fuse into chain links and other components.

Putting on my customer hat, let me at this. I’d buy your work in a second, even just judging from this one example. You are GOOD. And also, if you like working with silver and swarovski, you go right ahead and keep doing that. Plenty of people, me included, enjoy and even prefer silver and crystal over gold and diamonds. It also opens you up to customers who don’t have the money for gold and diamonds- and everybody should be able to have pretty things.

Speaking of Swarovski for anyone who works with it- apparently they’re going to stop making and selling their retail lines of stones sometime in the next year, and only manufacture them for use in their own jewelry lines. Let the stockpiling begin… :triumph:

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Thank you! And thanks for letting us know about Swarovski stones. They seem like a good alternative in some cases (like practicing), cheap but still lookig good. I read in various publications that Swarovski started to fire stuff and is in a process of reorganization.

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No problem! The one thing I’ll warn people about is they’re no good for flush setting- IME they don’t so much chip as… crumble. But everything else, I love them.

The article I read was from several months ago. I’m hoping with the reorganization they might change their minds.

Swarovski is going to stop retailing? Oh NO! oh crap! Thanks for the heads up. Better start buying… :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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Beautifully done. I love the setting and the crystals look great. Would love to see more of your work. You are very talented. :clap:t3::clap:t3: Well done! (Would love to see some with sapphires in the silver :heart:). :+1:t3::+1:t3:

No. The germanium layer can be induced by the heat hardening process, which is as simple as baking in a toaster oven.

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DJay_Pee. Where are you getting your information on Argentium from? Please tell me your sources, because this has not been my experience at all. And from experience… I have had far more gold ear posts fall off expensive gold earrings, than my handmade argentium ones. If you want to cheapen jewellery, by all means plate it with rhodium.

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I started using “germanium silver” (900Ag/25Ge, not the Argentium trademark) in 2006 for about 5 years in order to get a white bead blast that could last at least several months while my jewelry where in exhibition… that works pretty well. Many parts are still sitting on my bench since. But my experience showed that re-polishing in the renewal process between shows tends to let the tarnishing process to take place. Intensive wear does it too. As plating is not a solution for me as I really dislike it, I’m simply allowing oxydation to play it role completely. BTW Never had any problem with gold post other than client tearing’em off.

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