May 2017 | Wryght Designs

Silver : A Brief Introduction

16/05/201716/05/2017
by Claire Wryght

Silver is one of the world’s most popular metals, precious but (more) affordable, vastly recyclable and still mined in Australia.

Pure silver is extremely soft which is why other metals are added in small amounts. There are four silver standards :
Sterling : 92.5% and 7.5% copper and stamped 925
Britannia : 95.8% and 4.2% copper and stamped 952
Argentium : can be either 93.5% or 95.84% balanced with copper and germanium
Fine : 99.9% with the balance of either copper, lead or zinc. This is the investment grade held in bullion.

Around one quarter of the production of silver is from recycled materials, aided by silver’s natural resistance to corrosion. All the silver metal sheet used at Wryght Designs is produced from recycled metal.

Silver is used in many forms, coins, jewellery, tableware and utensils, photographic film, medical instruments, investment bullion, x-rays and even solar panels. It is renowned for it high shine, durability and conductivity.

Did you know that although silver occurs in natural deposits, the majority of modern production is a byproduct of refining copper, lead, zinc and even gold?

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Metal

Brass : A Brief Introduction

10/05/201711/05/2017
by Claire Wryght

Brass is formed mixture copper and zinc, officially an alloy of the two metals in varying ratios. The ratio gives brass both its level of goldenness and its metal hardness.

Brass is best known for it’s golden yellow colour. This means it matches well with gold jewellery without the hefty price tag

Historically it was regarded for it’s high workability with hand tools, it could be worked without the use of a furnace and held up well to forming.

Common brass items include musical instruments for malleability and cost, door furniture for low fiction, bells for durability and naval application for their resistance to water damage.

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Metal

Copper : A Brief Introduction

01/05/201711/05/2017
by Claire Wryght

Copper is a base metal with a red orange metallic lustre. Pure copper is 100% recyclable without impacting quality, a highly sustainable metal, as recycling involves less processing than extraction.

Copper was first discovered in the Middle East up 9000 BC thanks to the metal naturally occurring as deposits called ‘stars’

Common copper uses include:

plumbing for it’s durability and corrosion resistance,
wiring for it’s electrical conductivity and flexibility, and
architecture as the metal’s distinctive green patina makes the copper weatherproof.

Copper salts are also responsible for the green colouring of minerals like turquoise, azurite and malachite.

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