Silver plated copper wire

I have been hearing/reading about silver plated copper wire. The
reviews seem vary favorable. I have read that it acts much like
sterling, you can’t see the copper core when cut and that even
though its treated with an anti-tarnish coating, it still takes a
patina well.

What’s the feeling in the jewelry community regarding this. I’m glad
the price of silver is coming down again, but the lasted spike gave
us all a shock and prompted me to look at alternatives. What is your
guys’ feelings on the matter.

Thanks,
Heather

I’ve been using the silverplated wire from

for the past few years and I like working with it. Can’t be soldered
unless you want to go for some pretty colorful copper/silver
effects. Since I knit wire so much, and do a great deal of
wireworking teaching, the silverplated wire has been an economical
choice, allowing my students and I a chance to work in silver,
without the cost of actual sterling wire. The Parawire silverplated
wire is labeled as Non-tarnish silverplate copper wire. Sometimes it
feels like half-hard wire, and sometimes more soft, but it’s not
quite soft temper. Any other silverplated wire out there, I don’t
know but at least we have an option to work with silver wire without
the high cost. Best of all, it is tarnish-resistant.

Joy
www.joyraskin.com