A Detailed Look at the Process
A one-of-a-kind treasure can begin as a fully formed idea or develop as it grows making handcrafting one piece from start to finish so exciting. That piece may even inspire the next and practically create itself! Every part of the whole has it's own process and requires a series of decisions and applied techniques.
My jewelry ultimately begins with sterling silver sheet and wire or 18 karat gold when I get the chance! I love using semi-precious stones to either highlight or define a piece using fine silver bezel sheet which is higher in silver content.
Any shape can be cut from metal sheet using a set of heavy sheers or a handsaw for more detailed edges. Hammers and stamps are good ways to create contrast and to texturize and decorate a plain surface. Spheres and dapping blocks made of steel or wood are often used to dome or shape metal, adding depth to the finished product. Wire can be shaped by hand, hammer, or a variety of pliers to create necklace clasps and links or to stabilize a stone inside a bezel. The possibilities of metal sheet and wire become limitless with the application of patience and the right tools.
For detailed work, a flex shaft power handset is a must and useful at every stage of development. There are endless varieties of polishing, sanding, and grinding tips and drill bits I can use to get the details just right. It is not unlike what a dentist might use to make one's teeth fit together!
My favorite technique by far is soldering with a torch fueled by an Acetylene tank to combine individual raw pieces into a cohesive structure. Assorted levels of silver alloy in the metals require soldering at different temperatures. Most often I use a hard solder, which has a higher level of silver content, making seams stronger and less apparent to the eye. Annealing metal with heat is a good way to make it more pliable and easy to manipulate. While continuing to make jewelry during my pregnancy, I strived to keep my work as chemically safe as possible. I discovered a non-toxic and water soluble way to protect metal from high temperatures and facilitate solder flow. I use Firescoff Ceramic flux, which also makes clean up easier and a pickle solution unnecessary.
The inclusion of various stones is always a fun aspect of my work and there are endless possibilities. Stones can be used to embellish or can be the focal point around which a whole piece is built. I use bezel settings made of fine silver to encase and slightly cover the edges of a stone, as opposed to prong settings. Using a bezel pusher and burnisher around the stone's edge protects and highlights the stone and is always the last step to finishing any piece. Generally most stones and all pearls cannot handle heat or strong chemicals, so I never heat a piece without first removing it's stones and usually use a hand polishing cloth to spruce up a dull surface. I only dip jewelry in Tarnish-Off solution if it does not involve stones or pearls.
Finally, once the ingredients are combined to create the cohesive piece, the "finishing" process begins to give the jewelry life and spirit. I first use a combination of motorized wheels with a polishing compound to smooth the surface. I use a rouge compound on a buffing wheel to high polish the areas I want to highlight. Sometimes I will use Midas Liver of Sulfur gel to oxidize or darken the metal surface before polishing off the patina with a wheel, flex shaft or a hand polishing cloth to brighten the main focal points.
Whether I'm making art for myself or for someone else the process of smithing metal is always a challenge and never the same. It is meticulous and organic at the same time. I am always learning new tricks or finding new tools to make new and exciting jewelry, which makes what I get to do so much fun and fulfilling.