Nickel Silver

Nickel silvers are copper alloys with additions of zinc and nickel. Their special blend of mechanical properties, physical properties and performance characteristics depend on the relative proportions of the three elements. Their attractive colour varies from pale gold to silvery white.  Nickel silver, Maillechort, German silver, Argentan, new silver, nickel brass, albata, alpacca, is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named due to its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated.