“Chinese silver is an alloy used for costume jewelry. Its composition is 58% copper, 17.5% zinc, 11.5% nickel, 11% cobalt, and 2% silver, whereas the mix rate is 92.5% silver to 7.5% copper. This is why sterling silver is often stamped with “925” somewhere on the piece, and why it is graded as such. Because of the high copper content of Chinese Silver, once the protective lacquer coat and the thin silver finish wears off; many people turn the material green. Another drawback is that with the nickel content, again when the finish wears off, the nickel is exposed and many people have allergic reactions to the nickel.
For collectors and the public, the word "silver" might bring to mind an English tea set or a Continental soup tureen or maybe a patriotic silver tankard by Paul Revere. Less familiar to collectors and the public, but well known to jewelers, is a world of silver that is not Western, but Chinese. Chinese export silver was made for Western tourists in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring designs that include Chinese dragons rather than Western motifs such as goats and grapes.
"With the China trade, tourists were coming to China and they loved to shop," explains Stuart Slavid, director of fine ceramics at Skinner, Boston. "They would go to trading centers such as Canton, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Many of the ships returning home took silver as well as tourists."
All Chinese silver until recently was made by hand, with its elaborate designs hammered out by master Chinese craftsmen. The silver depicts flowers, birds, landscapes, dragons and human figures, the patterns that collectors seek out most often. Since Europeans would spend weeks or months aboard ship to travel to China, they would often spend months there. That was long enough to choose a pattern that could be custom-made while they holidayed. "Many of the pieces you see for sale today were made to order," Stuart says. "It was primarily for foreigners. The elaborate designs of most of the export silver weren't to the Chinese tastes." It's important to note that the Chinese did not use the same standard of silver that was used in the West, so silver content is not something buyers need to consider. "Every piece might have a different level of purity," Stuart says, but that doesn't affect the value of any particular piece. Another nice thing about Chinese export silver is that it uses English hallmarks. "They make it very easy to distinguish the different makers," Stuart says. "Nobody knows exactly who suggested the Chinese use the English marks but it's been a tremendous aid to many today." Chinese silver is also a specialty that has very few fakes. "I don't think collectors really have to be concerned about that in the same way they do in other silver markets," Stuart assures collectors.
While there are a few books that offer guidance, Stuart notes that the best way to make sure that what you're getting is real is to work with someone you trust. Many Silver US Trade Dollars were melted down by the Chinese to make their Chinese Silver, thus why when separated from the other metals; it is much purer than the native Chinese Silver.
Today, “Chinese Silver” not only refers to the old craft items which are rare and hard to find, but to a new generation of molded items, many now in plastics, to which Silver is plated over the formed piece.”
Just be aware of what you are buying and understand the make-up of the metals before purchase. There are Pros and Cons to buying metal beads made from Chinese Silver, and cost is not always one of them; in Tucson I saw them run as much per gram as Sterling Silver and by the strand or bag for small quantities. I encourage you to do your homework before purchasing any type of metals, stones, lampwork, or any raw materials, your customers are the ones that are going to want to make sure they are getting something that will not only last, but that they can also wear.
