BALI
SILVER
Silver is a very soft, white,
highly reflective and conductive
metal. It has long been sought
after for the creation of jewelry and
decorative artifacts. Like gold,
one of silver's most desirable
properties is that it can be worked into
almost any shape - then melted, cooled
and reshaped again. Silver is stable in pure air and
water, but tarnishes when exposed to
ozone, hydrogen sulfide, or air
containing sulfur.
Because of its softness silver is rarely used alone. Often silver is alloyed (mixed)
with other metals (such as copper) to
make a stronger metal. An alloy of 92.5% silver (7.5% other metals) is referred to
as “sterling silver”, “925
silver” or “.925 fine silver”. Items created in sterling are
marked with a lion or leopard in the
United Kingdom. In the USA they are often stamped
"sterling". In other countries sterling is marked ".925" or
"sterling".
Bali…
“Bali Silver” is a style of sterling adornments
popularized by the artisans of Bali,
Indonesia. Rich texturing, ornate detailing,
and antiquing (darkening agents designed
to highlight the texture) are
characteristic of the Bali style.
Once exclusive to the island nation, Bali Silver is now
produced extensively in India, the
Middle East and Asia. Styles vary by region, but are
readily recognized by those familiar
with “Bali Silver” or “Bali
Beads”.
Buyer
Beware...
Of
great concern to the silver buyer is the
authenticity of the claim that products
are in fact "sterling" or
".925" silver. A simple
chemical test is all that is required to
determine the silver content of any
material. A file is used to
produce a deep enough groove in the
material to penetrate any lacquering or
plating. Nitric acid is then
applied to the material and the color of
the precipitate is analyzed. A
greenish color indicates the presence of
base metals - the material is either not
silver, or of a very low silver
content. A creamy color indicates
a high silver content - sterling or
above. A blackish color indicates
a lower silver content - perhaps coin
silver (90%) or below.
Returning
from a show or receiving an order from
the internet and later finding that the
"silver" you purchased was
pewter or white metal is one of the most
disheartening things that can happen to
a jewelry maker. Your best
defense, aside from testing yourself, is
to purchase from a reputable
dealer. We have been supplying
products to artists, jewelry makers, and
craft producers for over 30 years.
We have long-standing relationships with
our suppliers and directly import all of
our Bali from both Indonesia and
India. Leaving out the middle-man
(importer) allows us to supply
high-quality products at reasonable
prices.
We
carry a huge selection of Bali in all of
our stores: toggles, beads, spacers,
noodles, wires, Bali bright, etc.
If you can't find what you're looking
for, please ask our staff - shipments
from overseas are arriving weekly.
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