I've got an idea for a necklace and I'm going to use Tibetan silver - my question is.......should I use sterling findings or stick to silver plated? And how long does Tibetan last before it tarnishes/goes manky?

Liz, I've been using/ wearing tibetan for the last 3 or 4 years and I cant say I've noticed much change in its appearance. But I dont combine it with sterling as they dont seem to look right to me. I tend to use tibetan in bracelets, teamed with semi-precious and crystals, and the only plated things in the bracelets are Beadalon crimps. They look quite substantial without being too chunky, and they sell very well. I occasionally use tibetan in necklaces, but quite sparingly, and mostly combined with semi-precious, cos otherwise they can be a bit heavy to wear. Hope this helps,
Nia.

I have absolutely nothing against Tibetan silver beads at all, but they are actually an alloy that most likely has no silver content at all, so I really can't see the point in using sterling findings with them.

Generally I think it's best not to mix sterling with plated and/or base metals, as it just devalues the sterling in the piece rather than raising the value of the piece.

You also have the issue of tarnish, though as Tibetan has (most often) no real silver in it, the other metals it's made from may or may not tarnish and there's no real way to know how long it might take or if does tarnish at all!

Thanks for the advice both, I've gone for silver plated. Will post a photo when it's finished