Hi Richard!
You private emailed me before I could respond to your Orchid
question! So, I am going to include Orchid in my response to this
part of the question.
Opinions vary on the bezel question. I like to use fine silver or
22K for bezels, so that they will be unaffected by the
heat-hardening. Others like to use Argentium Silver, and find that
the amount of hardening does not make the bezel setting difficult.
So, there is no one “right” answer—as with so many things.
Remember that the heat hardening process does not make it like
stainless steel, or even 14K gold. It makes similar to if it were
work-hardened.
I am excited that my workshop at the Sydney Jewellery School prompted
A & E Metals to produce Argentium Silver for Australia! I do hope
that A & E is recommending that new users of AS read carefully the
written material about it—available at argentiumsilver.com, in my
handouts posted in the docs of the Argenntium facebook group, and on
my website under “FAQs.” Also, Ronda Coryell’s videos are excellent.
If you read my articles and handouts, you will find the answers to
your questions, I think.
Best wishes to you, and all the new Argentium Silver users in Australia!
Cynthia Eid