What is the Difference Between Argentium, Sterling Silver, and Plated Silver?
When looking to purchase jewelry there are usually many options on the material that each piece is made of. This can be overwhelming and make it more difficult to select a piece. In this article, we are going to discuss the differences between Argentium, sterling silver, and plated silver.
Argentium
Argentium is a brand of modern tarnish-resistant silver containing either 93.5% or 96% silver. This alloy replaces some of the copper that is in traditional sterling silver. It has recently gained popularity and is considered a fairly new alloy. It has been said that Argentium is the most important development of silverwork in the last couple of centuries. Argentium is a type of sterling silver and comes in a variety depending on the purity of the silver involved.
Argentium sterling silver defies expectations by being closer to pure silver in makeup, yet much more durable than even sterling silver. This makes it the perfect alloy to stand up to the daily wear and tear for that favorite piece of jewelry experience.
The idea behind Argentium was to create a sterling silver that is resistant to firestain. Firestain is what happens when the copper oxidizes in the sterling silver. With Argentium, the germanium selectively oxidizes before the copper, which is what prevents the fire scale from forming.
The biggest difference between Argentium silver and sterling silver is in the working of the metal. Most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference with the naked eye.
Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is easily understood in the sense that it is nearly 100% silver. It is a common material that most have heard of before. Silver is an active metal and it easily chemically reacts with sulfur in the air thus creating a silver sulfide and turning it black. Generally, sterling silver refers to silver with a content of 92.5% to 99% content of silver and the other 7% is usually a blend of other metal alloys like a combination of copper and zinc.
Sterling Silver will tarnish over time by simple air exposure. Often sterling silver is aged by artists to give it an antique look. Sterling silver has a softer finish and is less durable than Argentium.
Silver Plated
Silver-plated jewelry is just as its name suggests, it is plated in silver. This means that the bulk of the piece is made with some other metals like copper or zinc. Meaning there is only a thin layer of silver on the outside. This changes the value of the piece. Generally, a silver-plated piece will weigh more than a sterling silver piece because contains more of the other metal materials which are heavier than silver.
Which material is best?
Only you as the buyer can decide which material is best for you. The decision is based on preference, price point, and overall style and look you are trying to obtain.
There is almost no difference in the appearance of Argentium, sterling silver, and silver-plated jewelry. Silver-plated jewelry will be slightly lighter in color than sterling silver but this will be hard to spot for the average person.
There is an obvious price difference between the three with the silver-plated jewelry falling at the cheapest price point. In addition, each material has different durabilities, care instructions, and sustainability.
Works Cited
“?” ? - YouTube, 11 July 2020, https://www.declinko.com/au/blog/silver-plated-vs-sterling-silver.html. Accessed 6 January 2023.
“Argentium sterling silver.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentium_sterling_silver. Accessed 6 January 2023.
Deschepper, Tahmi. “5 Reasons Why Argentium Is Better Than Sterling Silver.” Tahmi, 17 March 2020, https://tahmi.com/blogs/blog/5-reasons-why-argentium-is-better-than-sterling-silver. Accessed 6 January 2023.
Hall, Jeremy. “Argentium Silver vs Sterling Silver (Which is Better For Silversmithing?).” Rock Seeker -, https://www.rockseeker.com/argentium-silver-vs-sterling-silver/. Accessed 6 January 2023.
“Sterling silver.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_silver. Accessed 6 January 2023.