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All About Argentium Silver
Argentium is a sterling silver alloy that has some exciting advantages over traditional sterling silver. It does not firescale, is highly tarnish resistant, is more malleable and ductile than traditional sterling, granulates and fuses more easily than traditional sterling, and can be hardened using a toaster oven!
This course is for people who want to become comfortable working with Argentium® Sterling Silver sheet and wire. Demonstrations will include annealing, soldering, fusing, hardening, and finishing. Since Argentium Sterling has superb fusing qualities, demos will also include fusing granules (granulation), wire, and gold to Argentium Sterling sheet and wire. Keum Boo will also be taught, as another way to add gold to this tarnish-resistant sterling alloy.
Demonstrations will alternate with hands-on practice time. Participants may choose to practice on samples, or to create finished designs. Students with basic jewelry and metalsmithing skills, as well as professionals, are welcome.
Meet the instructor
Whether using hammers and stakes, or hydraulic press tools, Cynthia's sculptural jewelry and hollowware shows her focus on exploring the fluidity with which metal can be moved, formed, and joined.
Cynthia Eid co-authored the book Creative Metal Forming, with Betty Helen Longhi, published in 2013 by Tim McCreight's Brynmorgen Press. In his foreword for the book, Michael Good says the authors "have succeeded in assembling the first comprehensive textbook on synclastic and anticlastic forming." (More about the book available at www.creativemetalforming.com.)
Cynthia and Betty developed a set of anticlastic stakes, and Eid also works with Knew Concepts and Bonny Doon to help make tools for jewelers and metalsmiths. Lee Marshall has dubbed Cynthia Eid "Godmother of the Knew Concept Saws" since it was her idea for him to produce these saws for jewelers.
Excited about working in sterling silver without the problem of firescale, Cynthia has been working with Argentium Silver since 1999. After meeting Peter Johns (the inventor of Argentium Silver) in 2003, Eid has participated in AS's development. Argentium International, Ltd recognizes her as a Pioneer.
Cynthia Eid's metalwork has won awards for creativity and design, been featured in many publications, and been exhibited internationally. With a BS in Art Education and MFA in Jewelry, Design, and Silversmithing, she has previously worked as a bench jeweler for fine goldsmiths, a model-maker in a gold jewelry factory, and on private commissions. Her work is in museums in the US and UK. Currently an independent metalsmith and educator, she teaches weekly classes at Metalwerx in Massachusetts, and workshops and short courses in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.
Materials & Tools
There is a $110 materials fee for this workshop that is payable to the instructor at the start of class. The materials kit includes various gauges of Argentium Silver wire and sheet, as well as Argentium solder and findings, Keum Boo foil, 22K gold wire, a Goddard Cloth, and Silver Glory.
- A black Sharpie marker – fine point or thicker – an essential tool for annealing
- 3-6 “dishes” or containers to hold solder chips and AS granules. Small containers such as pill boxes are helpful for keeping solders and granules safe and separate.
- Close-toed shoes (safety in case of dropping something hot, sharp, or heavy)
- Any agate burnishers already owned (they will be available for purchase at workshop)
HELPFUL ITEMS THAT STUDENTS MAY WISH TO BRING – NOT ESSENTIAL
- Solderite board (Metalwerx will have 4 to share, but you may want your own)
- Students may wish to bring additional Argentium Silver, if s/he tends to be prolific, or work large.
- Take care not purchase anything that is sold as “like Argentium Silver” or “the same as Argentium Silver”. Since this is a patented and licensed alloy, such claims are not reliable. Dependable sources include: Rio Grande, G & S Gold, Hauser and Miller, Otto Frei.
- Students may wish to bring 18K - 24K gold wire or scrap for making granules to fuse to AS
- apron
Metalwerx has these tools for students to use and share. If you like to have your own, you might wish to bring:
- Solderite board
- A smooth charcoal block – if they want to make their own granules. *There will be one available for each soldering station, but student may wish to bring their own.
- Optivisor or clip-on magnifier—recommended by instructor for use during fusing
- Metal shears (Hand-held), such as Joyce Chen.
- Fabric, ribbon, etc for roll-printing (imprinting texture onto metal using a rolling mill)
- Saw frame, blades, and lubricant
- Sanding sticks and/or abrasive papers
- Favorite flex shaft tools, such as radial bristle discs, sanding discs, cup burs, diamond burs…..
- Favorite soldering tools (poker, tweezers, …)