**Why I only use USA cast pewter charms**
Frequently I am asked why I only use USA cast pewter in my
Jewelry. It’s simply the quality,
safety, beauty and as I like to say “lasts a lifetime” of these USA produced charms
.
But, let’s talk about why you will never find Tibetan “pewter”
charms in my jewelry. Tibetan charms are
sold by the 1,000’s on Etsy and Ebay, and almost every charm bracelet I see on
those venues are created with these charms.
Tibetan charms are about 1/8th the cost of USA cast
pewter.
**Here is why you will never find Tibetan charms in my
jewelry**
What I know:
Tibetan charms are heavy, brittle, lack the detail and the thin
silver plating wears off quickly. Just
take a polish rag and you will be able to remove the finish in about 10 seconds
or less.
From Wikipedia:
Currently,
jewelry, beads and castings described as 'Tibetan Silver' tend to be a base iron'cheese metal'
casting, overlaid with this pewter and silver plating and are easily broken due
to a loose, fragile inner casting. The latter productions are therefore only
suitable for small castings up to around 12 mm, or transient 'fashion' jewelry
with a short lifespan.
Ebay disclosure:
Metallurgical
testing of twelve items offered for sale on EBay as Tibetan Silver indicates
that these articles frequently contain no silver whatsoever. In addition, test
results from the initial tests in 2007 found that high levels of lead and other
dangerous metals such as arsenic can be present.
USA Cast
Pewter (Blackberry Designs Jewelry):
Although all pewter contains trace
amounts of lead, the term "lead free pewter" is used to describe
pewter that meets the stringent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
standard. The predominant metal used to make pewter
is tin. Tin can be considered a precious
and expensive metal. It's the 4th most precious metal in common usage after
platinum, gold and silver. It also has a long-standing history as it has been
mined and used to make objects both decorative and functional for over 3000
years. Craftsman have rediscovered the
glowing beauty and practical function of fine pewter. Pewter jewelry components
have the luster and detail of antique sterling silver, more economical to
manufacture, will never tarnish or turn, and lasts a lifetime.Blackberry Designs Jewelry
Masterfully Crafted * Magically Charming®
