Vintage Alpaca Silver Bracelet, Circa 20 Century

Good Evening CW Members--- 10:00 PM)2016-8-23
The joy to add a new field of collecting always rich with learning experiance and to discover something new to you, I found this nice Vintage Alpaca Silver bracelet at the Salvation Army yesterday, first i have to say, I love it at the first moment, because of is unusual design, no matter when is discover what is "Alpaca silver" it's beautiful in my eyes.
This bracelet is made with a small fork with a nice stone as a focal point.
Small marking"Alpaca Sil" and "Made in US"

This bracelet is 2.50 inch diameter.

Many Thanks Everyone for Viewing.
Alan

-----------------------------Alpaca and Other Silvers-------------------------------

Many people wonder what the difference is between Alpaca silver and other types of silver. One of the biggest differences is that Alpaca silver actually contains no silver. It is actually made of an alloy, which imitates sterling silver.

The non-precious metal alloy is typically made of zinc, copper and nickel, though there are many versions of Alpaca silver that are now being made with zinc, copper and iron. This is due, in large part, to many people being allergic to nickel. Typical Alpaca silver contains 60 percent copper, 20 percent nickel (or the same percentage iron), and 20 percent zinc.

Sterling silver, on the other hand, contains at least 92.5 percent of actual silver, but it usually also contains other metals as jewelry and tableware cannot contain 100 percent silver since it does not have a solid state.

Another difference is that Alpaca silver can be less expensive than sterling silver and will still look shiny and beautiful. This is mainly due to the fact that Alpaca silver does not contain silver which is considered a valuable metal.

One other difference between Alpaca and sterling silver is that Alpaca silver can tarnish quicker than sterling silver if not cared for properly. This makes it important to understand the qualities of this metal and to know how to keep it looking beautiful.

It is true that Alpaca silver does not contain silver, but it is not meant as a ruse to dupe you; it is mainly meant to explain where the piece originated and that it looks like silver, though it costs less.

If you have allergies to nickel, this might not be the right choice for you, though there are options that will allow you to enjoy the metal regardless of this fact. Purchasing Alpaca silver pieces and keeping them properly cleaned and maintained will allow you all the beauty and shininess of sterling silver without the hefty price tag.

Courtesy of : http://www.ebay.com/gds/Alpaca-Silver-Buying-Guide-/10000000178258950/g.html