Tibetan Silver
June 28, 2012TIBETAN SILVER % Actual real silver is minimal or non-existent.
The description "Tibetan Silver" is not an indication of the genuine silver-metal content of the product, rather a description of worldwide accepted trends and tendencies of the product. Actual metals and coatings used vary from item to item - higher priced products obviously being of better quality than lower-priced - it is the consumers decision to purchase according to the price-class they prefer)
Tibetan silver is primarily used as a coating in bead working and jewellery components and findings, and is similar to pewter - an alloy of copper, and sometimes tin or nickel, with a minimal or non-existent percentage of genuine silver. The nickel content however is nowadays reduced or absent due to common allergies to this metal. Some factors determining the quality of Tibetan silver, amongst others, are the thickness of the coating, the detailing in the coating, and whether or not additional coatings/plating of other metals have been added (either precious or non-precious)
Although there are discrepancies in what consumers tend to believe of tibetan silver, the fact remains ACTUAL SILVER CONTENT IS MINIMAL, do not get taken in by adverts of the article as "Real, or Genuine" there is no such thing! The name is JUST A DESCRIPTION, somewhat similar to a Brand Name and DOES NOT indicate what the product is actually made of (ie genuine silver) at all. Through my years of trading in Tibetan silver and information supplied by providers and other traders, these are the descriptions I personally prefer when advertising this product.
Tibetan Silver sold on Beads & Baubles, my online shopping portal, adheres to the worldwide accepted criteria for tibetan silver, is the actual product (albeit occasionally only applied as a coating or plating) and is highly popular. The better quality is attractive, thick and robust and if cared for correctly can have a good lifespan. If not further coated or plated with other precious or non-precious metal, the overall appearance of Tibetan Silver is of aged or antiqued silver, which can also be polished to provide exquisite highlights on complex or intricate castings.
TIBETAN SILVER CASTINGS
The type known as 'Castings' is the lower quality and tends to be a base iron or metal casting (also called cheese metal) and is actually usually not overlaid with tibetan silver coating or plating at all - however as it is close in appearance to tibetan silver it is usually accepted as such by industry and consumers. These are attractive but easily broken due to a loose, fragile inner casting and therefore only suitable for small castings up to around 12mm, or transient "fashion" jewellery with a short lifespan. An experienced trader can spot the difference very easily by the colour, weight and feel of the item. The overall appearance of castings is of aged silver tending to a somewhat 'grayish' dull colouring.
Posted by Beads & Baubles. Posted In : Tibetan Silver
