Ask the Experts about Jewelry Making

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Topics: Metal, Findings

Q.
Can you tell me what the difference is between Tibetan silver and pewter?
- Cris
A.
Pewter is an alloy made of tin (greater than 90%), copper and antimony (or other metals). Modern pewter should not be alloyed with lead. Be sure to purchase pewter from reputable sources so you can be sure of the lead content, or lack thereof.

"Tibetan silver" is a copper alloy mixed with tin or nickel. In some cases it is an iron base with pewter and/or silver plating. There is typically little to no silver content in Tibetan silver manufactured today. Due to the inconsistency of what the actual metal is, there are no guarantees as to the true metal content, including in some cases high levels of lead.

- Maura Buckner, Jewelry-Making Expert

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