New options - Jewelry Making Materials That Look Expensive

Have you looked at the price for jewelry making supplies and jewelry making materials lately? With the prices of precious metals fluctuating constantly and now reaching an all time high, it is time to turn to less expensive alternatives for

In the recent past talented artisans preferred to use, precious metals such as gold, platinum and sterling silver. Recently, other metals, such as steel and titanium, have reached the benches of many jewelers who appreciate the characteristics of alternative jewelry making materials and how they can easily be crafted into high-quality, durable and stylish jewelry.

In this article I will cover some of the basic alternatives to precious metals that can save you money and bring a contemporary look to your designs.

The jewelry industry uses the term "alternative metals" to describe the industrial jewelry making materials and alloys used today for many contemporary jewelry designs. These jewelry making materials include stainless steel, gold overlays, marriage of different metals amongst others. This alternative metals buying guide offers some basic information to help you make a more informed decision when incorporating alternative meta jewelry supplies into your collections.

Platifina Introduced in 2005, platifina is a new sterling silver alloy comprised of 92.5 percent silver, 1 percent platinum and 6.5 percent other metals (that's a trade secret). The name "platifina" comes from the Spanish 'plata' (silver) and 'fina' (fine). The alloy creates a metal that is brighter in color than either silver or pure platinum and is guaranteed tarnish-resistant, yet platifina jewelry is much more affordable than platinum jewelry. This alternative jewelry making material can bring your designs to a whole new level.

Karatium Alloys are a new family of alloys containing a percentage of gold and have been formulated in response to industry demand for less expensive metals. They are available in Yellow which contains 20% gold, Pink and White options which contain 10% gold as well as a sterling silver alloy which contains 2.5% gold. Although Karatium alloys polish to a high luster much like traditional karat gold alloys, they can be priced considerably less than 10kt gold and are an attractive alternative to gold filled products since they are a true "Alloy" and not a clad product with a base metal layer making up the majority of your jewelry. Karatium alloys also have the advantage over gold filled that the gold layer will never wear off. Karatium alloys are formulated to work well for all jewelry applications and can be cast, formed and fabricated just like karat gold alloys. All Karatium metal jewelry supplies have been formulated for optimum tarnish resistance. This qualities make Karatium a jewelry making material to investigate and experiment with.

Gold overlay or Bi-Metal Gold overlay is an application of gold on a base metal piece. The process gives an item the luxurious look of gold for a fraction of the cost of crafting with solid gold. The gold layer in gold overlay jewelry must be at least 10 karat in quality. In previous decades, gold overlay jewelry was not very durable and the gold layer would rub off after extended wear. However, jewelers have improved the gold bonding methods and the layer of gold is thicker than on earlier jewelry. A piece of gold overlay jewelry should have a stamp indicating the process and the gold's karat quality, such as 14k overlay for 14-karat gold.

• Gold plate Refers to the process of chemically bonding a layer of gold to a base metal through electrolysis. Gold plated jewelry has a layer of gold with a percentage of at least 10 karat and a thickness of 0.175 microns or greater. Electroplating applies the gold coating to the base metal by placing the object in a gold ion solution. Passing an electric current through the solution will cause the ions to bond to the metal.
  

• Gold filled A base metal item with a top layer of at least 10-karat gold that was bonded to the metal with heat and pressure. For an item to be considered "gold filled," the gold content must compose at least 1/20th of the item's total weight. A piece of gold-filled jewelry will include a stamp noting the karat of the gold used.
  

• Gold over silver This is also gold overlay jewelry but the use of silver as the base metal increases the value. Silver with a layer of yellow gold is the most luxurious of gold overlay jewelry. Previously these items, especially sterling silver with a plating of 18-karat yellow gold were called vermeil (ver-may). Today, many retailers emphasize the use of two precious metals by calling this jewelry "gold over silver or bi-metal" I use this metal jewelry supply in many of my jewelry designs. I find it to be durable and to give my work a more expensive look.
  

Stainless steel Steel's popularity as a jewelry making material, has increased in recent years. Steel is an iron-carbon alloy that has been used for millennia in crafting tools, structures and manufacturing. Stainless steel was developed in the 19th Century with a composition of 10 percent chromium and 0.15 percent carbon added to iron. Stainless steel resists corrosion better than earlier alloys. It does rust, but the rust (or oxide) is a thin layer that protects the metal from reacting with water or air. With its attractive grey color, strength and relatively low cost, stainless steel is a good alternative metal jewelry supply such as silver or white gold. It requires tempering to avoid shattering when working with it. It is important to keep high safety standards to avoid injury.

Surgical Stainless Steel Surgical stainless steel is a steel alloy composed of iron, carbon, 12-20 percent chromium, 8-12 percent nickel and 0.2-3 percent molybdenum. This steel is scratch-resistant and resists corrosion, even after multiple cleanings. It is called surgical because many medical implants and surgical tools are made of the steel. Body jewelry, especially belly rings, crafted of surgical stainless steel offers consumers a hygienic product. .

Titanium Titanium is probably the strongest metal jewelry supply available. It is an industrial metal that has been recently introduce into the jewelry industry. Titanium has an attractive gray tone and gives jewelry a modern look. This metal resist corrosion, tarnish and discoloration. Titanium can be crafted into different designs and has become a great alternative for wedding and engagement rings.

Tungsten Also called wolfram, was first distilled from the mineral wolframite. It forms super dense alloys when added to other metals and these alloys are used in products ranging from golf club heads to weapons. This metal is as strong as steel and about twice the weight, making this metal jewelry supply almost wear proof. It is important to remember that while it is extremely hard, tungsten can crack if it is struck at high impact.

Copper The history of copper goes back beyond 10,000 years. A copper pendant, found in northern Iraq dates back to 8700 B.C.E. and predates the first gold artifacts by 4700 years. Because of its beautiful luster, copper was associated with the Goddess Venus (Aphrodite). In fact, in ancient alchemy both the planet Venus and copper shared the same symbol.

Folklore maintains that copper is both a preventative and cure for arthritis. Although the United States FTC (Federal Trade Commission) refutes its medicinal properties, thousands of consumers continue to respond to the allure of copper jewelry. Copper can also be mixed with silver and other alloys to create Mokume Gane. It is a great alternative to jewelry making. Using the marriage of Copper with Silver gives you the flexibility of creating a variety of attractive patterns and images. This makes copper a great alternative jewelry making materials.

Bronze Was an early copper alloy; so early, in fact, that an entire era — the Bronze Age — was named for it. An alloy of copper and tin, bronze is found as far back in ancient-egypt-jewelry and was used for making bracelets, ankles, and earrings, and beaded necklaces. Although contemporary bronze is sometimes alloyed with aluminum, because of its weight and the complexity in casting bronze, modern jewelers typically use this metal jewerly supply to fashion smaller items like brooches and pins. It is also a metal traditionally used in sculptures.

These three metal jewelry supplies can be etched by using a prepared solution of ferric chloride which also contains hydrochloric acid. This process allows you to create unique textures and designs. Make sure you follow instructions when etching any of these three metals and that you dispose of the solution properly.

Alpaca (Alpacca) Not to be confused with the animal, alpaca is a relatively new metal jewelry making supply, predominantly made of copper alloyed with nickel, zinc, and tin. The reduced expense of alpaca makes it a natural jewelry making material substitute for silver in fashion jewelry.

Pewter As copper alloyed with tin became bronze, tin alloyed with copper and lead resulted in pewter. At one time, pewter was the main material used in tableware as well as being a base metal often used for rings and pendants. This metal jewerly supply is a Non-toxic antimony and/or bismuth replaces lead as a component in modern pewter jewelry.

Polished pewter shines with a brightness that approaches the elegant sheen of fine silver. When antique patinas are preferred, pewter is darkened with chemical additives.

There are many techniques that combine jewelry making materials. Stay tuned for two upcoming articles:

The beauty of Mokume Gane.

Adding Interest with Marriage of metals.

Rio Grande Jewelry Supply Company offers a wide variety of alternative metals.

Another great alternative is Reactive Metals

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