Argentium silver and gold plated, high quality, hand cut diamond cut and cut out wavy leaves pendant. Length 28mm, width 16mm.

ARGENTIUM - IF SILVER IS THE NEW GOLD, ARGENTIUM IS THE NEW SILVER! BRIGHTER Argentium silver is brighter than platinum, white gold and traditional sterling. It is the whitest of them all. NATURAL BEAUTY Plating is prone to wear and tear and is commonly used on silver items to give the temporary illusion of purity. Argentium is the natural colour of pure silver through and through. LONGER LASTING SHINE Argentium silver is low maintenance, easy to care for and simple to clean. Argentium sterling silver is a modern sterling silver alloy which modifies the traditional alloy (92.5% silver + 7.5% copper) by replacing some of the copper with the metalloid germanium. As it retains the 92.5% silver content of the traditional alloy, it is still referred to as sterling silver. Argentium silver is the result of research by Peter Johns at the School of Art & Design, Middlesex University. The project began in 1990 with research on the effects of germanium additions to silver alloys. Germanium was discovered to impart the following properties to sterling silver:  Firescale elimination  High tarnish resistance  Precipitation hardening and simple heat-hardening propertiesApproximately twice the hardness of standard Sterling silver!  Increased ductility  Increased thermal and electrical resistance (making alloys suitable for welding and laser forming)  Environmental advantages (associated with not having to remove or plate over firescale) Many of these properties significantly affect the traditional methods of working silver. For instance the absence of firescale eliminates tedious and time-consuming steps required by the silver worker using traditional sterling silver. It also eliminates the need for plating the final product which is often done on manufactured items because of the problems introduced by firescale. Tarnish resistance is of significant importance to both silver workers and the wearer of silver jewellery. Argentium silver is patented and trademarked by Argentium Silver Company, UK.