A familiar but little-talked-about product in the jewelry manufacturing sector called bimetal—referring to two metals bonded together, primarily sterling silver fused to either 18k or 22k gold—is poised for greater popularity in fine jewelry stores. As a good alternative to solid 18k gold, bimetal helps keep down costs; it’s much more durable compared to gold vermeil or plate; it’s got more value than sterling alone; and it’s versatile to boot.“Bimetal allows you to do bigger, showier pieces without the cost of all gold,” says Barbara Wasserstrom, co-owner of Stuart Benjamin & Co. in San Diego, who introduced the metal to clients at the beginning of the recession in 2008. “I had to make things more affordable.”Wasserstrom carries the work of Christine Mackellar, who makes 80 percent of her C.H. Mackellar line in bimetal sterling and 18k gold. What surprises the
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