What Is Argentium Sterling Silver?
Argentium Sterling (AS) is a patented alloy of silver. The trademark and patents are held by Argentium Silver Co. (aka AsCo). The alloy was invented and developed by Peter Johns of Middlesex University, UK.
For a silver alloy to be called "sterling" it must be 92.5% pure silver. The standard formula for sterling silver is the required 92.5% silver plus 7.5% copper. Unfortunately it also has a tendency to tarnish. But by mixing sterling grade alloy with about 2% germanium the new aloy has a great resistance to tarnishing.
Development of the AS alloy took about 10 years. At this time users of AS are typically artisan jewelers in the USA, Europe, Canada, and Asia. Research into AS continues to develope. Peter Johns remains the primary researcher in this area and is also instrumental in assisting manufacturers to introduce AS into their production processes.
For a silver alloy to be called "sterling" it must be 92.5% pure silver. The standard formula for sterling silver is the required 92.5% silver plus 7.5% copper. Unfortunately it also has a tendency to tarnish. But by mixing sterling grade alloy with about 2% germanium the new aloy has a great resistance to tarnishing.
Development of the AS alloy took about 10 years. At this time users of AS are typically artisan jewelers in the USA, Europe, Canada, and Asia. Research into AS continues to develope. Peter Johns remains the primary researcher in this area and is also instrumental in assisting manufacturers to introduce AS into their production processes.
