Argentium melts about 50 degrees lower than Sterling and takes longer to cool. You can see by the slight discoloration near the bead, that the heat has transferred only a few millimeters up the wire. By going back in with the flame, I can burn those oxides off and there is no need to pickle. I've placed pieces of Argentium and Sterling side by side on my charcoal block to demonstrate the differences in melting temperature, surface oxides and roundness. You can see the sterling has a hard time forming into a sphere. The firescale that forms leaves the surface rough. The sterling glows hotter because it IS hotter. The Argentium melted at a lower temperature. You can see that the Argentium cools more gradually than the sterling because it holds the heat longer. Notice the roundness and the beautiful surface of the Argentium. Never quench Argentium while it's red hot or cracking will occur. Simply wait a little longer for any red glow to disappear before quenching. You should always quench in water, as it's hazardous to quench in pickle. It is important not to touch, move or manipulate Argentium when it is red hot because it will crumble. Give it time to cool a little longer than standard sterling. When heating, your work may need to be supported or it can slump. A way to prevent this is to use a screen. Pre-annealing and letting the metal air before soldering or fusing can keep the work from shifting or moving. The bezel on the left has not been annealed. You see the tension causes the metal to move. The bezel on the right has been annealed and stays in place. Follow renowned jewelry instructor Ronda Coryell as you learn a variety of basic techniques in Argentium Silver - The Finest Silver. In addition to learning how to make seven different rings in this tarnish- & firescale-resistant material - you'll learn many valuable tips and tricks that you will find useful as you work with this amazing new silver alloy. Topics Covered in the DVD: • Basic Properties of Argentium Silver • Fusing & Soldering • Texturing & Hallmarking • Hardening Properties • Proper Finishing Techniques • Surface Passivation • Adding a Patina The full DVD Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics is available for purchase now from www.rondacoryell.com! Produced and written by Ronda Coryell (http://www.rondacoryell.com) Directed, filmed and designed by Wes Clarke (http://www.wesclarke.com) Copyright ©2011 Ronda Coryell Designs. Rights Reserved. The Argentium Flying Unicorn and logo mark are trademarked by Argentium International Limited. Ronda Coryell presents: Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics / 68 mins / Color / Stereo / Mastered in HD

One of Argentium's amazing characteristics is it's ability to be hardened in an ordinary oven. I have preheated the oven to (220 Celsius - 500 Fahrenheit) Bake for an hour and a half and remove from oven and allow to cool slowly. (ZOOM IN) You can see that the metal discolors a bit. Pickle and they are ready for final polish. I'm using green rouge and a soft muslin buff. Since the metal is harder than standard sterling, it will take a polish better. After removing all the polishing compounds with soapy water, I will place them into the oven one more time to help make them more tarnish resistant by accelerating the germanium oxide surface layer. Follow renowned jewelry instructor Ronda Coryell as you learn a variety of basic techniques in Argentium Silver - The Finest Silver. In addition to learning how to make seven different rings in this tarnish- & firescale-resistant material - you'll learn many valuable tips and tricks that you will find useful as you work with this amazing new silver alloy. Topics Covered in the DVD: • Basic Properties of Argentium Silver • Fusing & Soldering • Texturing & Hallmarking • Hardening Properties • Proper Finishing Techniques • Surface Passivation • Adding a Patina The full DVD Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics is available for purchase now from www.rondacoryell.com! Produced and written by Ronda Coryell (http://www.rondacoryell.com) Directed, filmed and designed by Wes Clarke (http://www.wesclarke.com) Copyright ©2011 Ronda Coryell Designs. Rights Reserved. The Argentium Flying Unicorn and logo mark are trademarked by Argentium International Limited. Ronda Coryell presents: Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics / 68 mins / Color / Stereo / Mastered in HD

I made a notch in my tweezers that make it easier to pick up and hold an ear post. I have a jumpring that is 1mm inside diameter and my post is .8mm. Flux the base sheet and the jumping and place a ball of easy solder in the hole. Hold the earring post off to the side until the solder flows. As the post passes through the flame, it gets hot enough to solder without overheating. This makes for a more finished look at the base of the post and will make it less likely to ever break off. Follow renowned jewelry instructor Ronda Coryell as you learn a variety of basic techniques in Argentium Silver - The Finest Silver. In addition to learning how to make seven different rings in this tarnish- & firescale-resistant material - you'll learn many valuable tips and tricks that you will find useful as you work with this amazing new silver alloy. Topics Covered in the DVD: • Basic Properties of Argentium Silver • Fusing & Soldering • Texturing & Hallmarking • Hardening Properties • Proper Finishing Techniques • Surface Passivation • Adding a Patina The full DVD Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics is available for purchase now from www.rondacoryell.com! Produced and written by Ronda Coryell (http://www.rondacoryell.com) Directed, filmed and designed by Wes Clarke (http://www.wesclarke.com) Copyright ©2011 Ronda Coryell Designs. Rights Reserved. The Argentium Flying Unicorn and logo mark are trademarked by Argentium International Limited. Ronda Coryell presents: Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics / 68 mins / Color / Stereo / Mastered in HD

Taking a .8mm or 20gs wire, hold perpendicular and use a hot flame to ball up the end of the wire. Hammer flat and using a small ball bur to make a divot in the end to place the ball of ez solder. Flux both the wire and the solder then... pre-flow the solder onto the earwire . Set the piece up resting on the charcoal block where there is no pressure on it or the earring could crumble. Then place the earwire in position on top. Concentrate the heat on the largest part and continue heating until the solder flows. The wire is fragile when hot so let it cool thoroughly before touching. Then, bend into shape. After cleanup and finishing, I would harden in the oven. Follow renowned jewelry instructor Ronda Coryell as you learn a variety of basic techniques in Argentium Silver - The Finest Silver. In addition to learning how to make seven different rings in this tarnish- & firescale-resistant material - you'll learn many valuable tips and tricks that you will find useful as you work with this amazing new silver alloy. Topics Covered in the DVD: • Basic Properties of Argentium Silver • Fusing & Soldering • Texturing & Hallmarking • Hardening Properties • Proper Finishing Techniques • Surface Passivation • Adding a Patina The full DVD Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics is available for purchase now from www.rondacoryell.com! Produced and written by Ronda Coryell (http://www.rondacoryell.com) Directed, filmed and designed by Wes Clarke (http://www.wesclarke.com) Copyright ©2011 Ronda Coryell Designs. Rights Reserved. The Argentium Flying Unicorn and logo mark are trademarked by Argentium International Limited. Ronda Coryell presents: Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics / 68 mins / Color / Stereo / Mastered in HD

Hang the bale off the edge of the block, flux it and come in with easy solder and heat the bale only. Make sure to let this cool completely before touching, as the parts are delicate when hot. Follow renowned jewelry instructor Ronda Coryell as you learn a variety of basic techniques in Argentium Silver - The Finest Silver. In addition to learning how to make seven different rings in this tarnish- & firescale-resistant material - you'll learn many valuable tips and tricks that you will find useful as you work with this amazing new silver alloy. Topics Covered in the DVD: • Basic Properties of Argentium Silver • Fusing & Soldering • Texturing & Hallmarking • Hardening Properties • Proper Finishing Techniques • Surface Passivation • Adding a Patina The full DVD Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics is available for purchase now from www.rondacoryell.com! Produced and written by Ronda Coryell (http://www.rondacoryell.com) Directed, filmed and designed by Wes Clarke (http://www.wesclarke.com) Copyright ©2011 Ronda Coryell Designs. Rights Reserved. The Argentium Flying Unicorn and logo mark are trademarked by Argentium International Limited. Ronda Coryell presents: Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics / 68 mins / Color / Stereo / Mastered in HD

Sizing a ring with a fragile stone is possible with Argentium because you can spot solder it like you could gold. This is a heavy, cast Argentium ring with mother of pearl set into a bezel. I am going to use hard Argentium solder and a product called Extra Hands that works as a heat shield to protect the stone. I pack it around the ring to hold it and put plenty on the inside to help protect the stone, leaving the seam sticking out. I have placed a piece of hard solder into the seam and coat with Jel-flux. Then I come in with a hot flame. Heat both sides of the shank equally. I can tell by the color of the flame, that it is getting close to the temperature needed for the solder to flow. There. The solder flowed. It won't take long to cool, because the Extra Hands kept the ring from getting hot. You can see that the Mother of Pearl is fine. Follow renowned jewelry instructor Ronda Coryell as you learn a variety of basic techniques in Argentium Silver - The Finest Silver. In addition to learning how to make seven different rings in this tarnish- & firescale-resistant material - you'll learn many valuable tips and tricks that you will find useful as you work with this amazing new silver alloy. Topics Covered in the DVD: • Basic Properties of Argentium Silver • Fusing & Soldering • Texturing & Hallmarking • Hardening Properties • Proper Finishing Techniques • Surface Passivation • Adding a Patina The full DVD Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics is available for purchase now from www.rondacoryell.com! Produced and written by Ronda Coryell (http://www.rondacoryell.com) Directed, filmed and designed by Wes Clarke (http://www.wesclarke.com) Copyright ©2011 Ronda Coryell Designs. Rights Reserved. The Argentium Flying Unicorn and logo mark are trademarked by Argentium International Limited. Ronda Coryell presents: Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics / 68 mins / Color / Stereo / Mastered in HD

Fusing 22k gold to Argentium is simple. There is no solder in this bracelet.

Using the torch to remove darkening disvoloration caused by moldmaking.

Here are a couple of recipes for a homemade, natural pickle for the vinegar pickle, you will need 2 C white vinegar and 1tsp salt and for a citric acid pickle, you use 2 C lemon or lime juice (fresh or bottled) and 1tsp salt. Both the vinegar and the lemon or lime juice can work without the salt, but will work more slowly. Salt dissolves copper, so the addition of salt accelerates the pickling action. Be aware the salt can possibly pit the metal if left in the pickle too long. And, remember, you can remove the flux with boiling water when there are no copper oxides on the surface. The vinegar pickle works a little faster than the citric acid pickle and both need to be hot. Let me demonstrate by this by placing a piece of copper into the hot pickle. You can actually see the oxides coming off the surface because its dissolving the copper oxides. Vinegar pickle works well with Argentium. The paste flux takes considerably longer to remove than the jel -flux or the yellow flux. You can see why I don't use Paste Flux. Even after pickling, the difference in surfaces is clearly visible. So, jel-flux or yellow flux for soldering and for fusing, yellow flux. You should always neutralize the acid with baking soda before disposal. Follow renowned jewelry instructor Ronda Coryell as you learn a variety of basic techniques in Argentium Silver - The Finest Silver. In addition to learning how to make seven different rings in this tarnish- & firescale-resistant material - you'll learn many valuable tips and tricks that you will find useful as you work with this amazing new silver alloy. Topics Covered in the DVD: • Basic Properties of Argentium Silver • Fusing & Soldering • Texturing & Hallmarking • Hardening Properties • Proper Finishing Techniques • Surface Passivation • Adding a Patina The full DVD Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics is available for purchase now from www.rondacoryell.com! Produced and written by Ronda Coryell (http://www.rondacoryell.com) Directed, filmed and designed by Wes Clarke (http://www.wesclarke.com) Copyright ©2011 Ronda Coryell Designs. Rights Reserved. The Argentium Flying Unicorn and logo mark are trademarked by Argentium International Limited. Ronda Coryell presents: Techniques in Argentium - Volume 1 Basics / 68 mins / Color / Stereo / Mastered in HD