What is Metal Clay?
Silver Metal Clay is made of tiny particles of silver suspended in an organic binder. When fired at high temperatures, the binder burns away leaving an item that is pure silver (99.9% Fine Silver does not tarnish like sterling silver). This "clay" medium can be molded, shaped, carved and textured, allowing the artist endless creative possibilities.
What is Fine Silver?
Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver without any alloy added. I use Art Clay Silver metal clay to create my Fine Silver jewelry pendants and findings. Sterling silver contains copper which causes the black tarnish.
What is Anti-Tarnish Silver?
Argentium™ silver is a new silver alloy that is being marketed as anti-tarnish silver. Sterling silver is an alloy. It is 92.5% silver, and 7.5% copper. The copper gives the silver strength but all makes it more susceptible to tarnish. Argentium® silver is an alloy as well. It is 92.5% silver, and 7.5% germanium and is highly tarnish resistant. Since it is made to a higher standard than traditional sterling silver, Argentium® Sterling Silver is guaranteed to be not less than 92.5% pure. Through the heat treatment process Argentium® Sterling Silver can be made nearly twice as hard as annealed standard sterling.
How do I clean a piece of jewelry made with anti-tarnish silver?
If it needs cleaning it can be wiped with a soft cloth to restore the original sparkling white color.
Do not use a tarnish removing cloth used for conventional sterling silver as the tarnish might contaminate the Argentium® Silver.
What are the gemstone months?
Birthstones can be associated with a month by mystical
and ayurvedic methods but I use the most common modern
jewelers chart.
Is Silver hazardous to your health?
Silver is found in nature and has been mined for over 5,000 years. Silver is stable in pure air and water, though it tarnishes quickly when exposed to air that contains elevated levels of ozone, hydrogen sulfide or sulfur. (In the past 200 years, the amount of sulfur in the atmosphere has increased, so silver tarnishes more quickly than it did in pre-Industrial times.)
Silver has antibacterial properties and is used in salves for burn victims and to purify water. Health experts are considering using silver again, in place of chlorine, in water-purification systems such as those that service swimming pools.
Silver is a true “darling” of the modern high-tech world because of its electrically conductive and reflective properties. It is used industrially for photography (silver nitrate), soldering alloys, electrical and printed circuit board contacts, and high-capacity batteries made from silver-zinc and silver-cadmium alloys. Unlike other "essential" elements, human bodies don't need silver to function. Trace amounts of silver are in the bodies of all humans and animals.
Silver is not toxic to humans and is not known to cause cancer, reproductive or neurological damage, or other chronic adverse effects. Nor has normal day-to-day contact with solid silver coins, spoons or bowls been found to affect human health. This is because solid silver is almost completely biologically inert, and even if ingested, would pass through the human body without being absorbed into tissues. Prolonged exposure to silver dust or fumes, can have some mostly mild effects on health. For example, inhaling silver fumes or dust may irritate mucous membranes or the upper respiratory tract. Ingesting silver compounds, such as in medicines, can sometimes irritate the stomach.
With all this said, the limited exposure while creating jewelry from metal clay should not be a hazard to your health.
Click to read the complete article from Dartmouth Research Program on Toxic Metals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Smoky Mountain Beads
