Tag Archives: recycled silver

Azure Blue and Sage Green Tassel Earrings

tassel earrings with silver earwires

The rage right now is tassel earrings, and I love pairing them with handmade silver earwires! Fashion doesn’t usually drive me, but I’ve been in love with the tassel lately. I worked out how to make some using high quality cotton (and sterling silver of course), and I’m pretty pleased with the result. To give the earrings a fresh and fabulous look, I used silver for the earwire, the hanging part at the top, and the wrap around of the tassel.

I made these particular lovelies as gifts for two of my dearest besties in the whole world. I find a constant source of joy in being able to create beautiful things for amazing people!

Gorgeous bestie in tassel earrings with silver earwires

You can find some tassel earrings with silver earwires in my online shop. Although these earrings have nearly sold out at present, I am getting ready to match another fabulous batch of these in a gorgeous array of colours. I’d also be very happy to make you a pair in any colour you dream of! You have a rainbow of choices available. Let me know what colour tassels your earrings should have by getting in touch with me here; and of course, sterling silver is hypo-allergenic so is perfect for everyone!

History

Tassels have been around for thousands of years. Tassel creators use a wide variety of materials. Throughout history, they’ve appeared as decoration, for religious purposes, and in ceremonial wear. So varied and highly prized were they that in 16th century France an apprenticeship of seven years was required to become a master in the guild of ‘passementiers’. If you’re interested, you can read more a bit more about their history here on Wikipedia. You can also read about them here on Martha Stewart’s website.

Meanwhile, tassels add a great pop of colour to any outfit! They can be a bit of fun for a day at the office, or sleek and beautiful for a night at a party – you get to choose and enjoy them any way you like!

Sterling Silver Beethoven Treble Clef Earrings

treble clef earrings – Beethoven’s own handwriting

One of my clients, Jake, asked if I could create a pair of treble clef earrings, using Ludwig van Beethoven‘s own handwriting for a template.

What a joyous and fabulous idea! Jake sent me the snippet of handwriting via email. I was able to reference the handwriting while I bent the silver to the same shape.

Sterling Silver Beethoven Treble Clef EarringsI was very pleased to oblige, and also to honour Beethoven in this way.

Sterling Silver Beethoven Treble Clef Earrings

Pearl and Sterling Silver Earrings

Pearl Earrings

My darling friend Aimee sent me a design concept, and asked me to make her these pearl earrings.

Pearl and Sterling Silver Earrings

They look fabulous on! Love you Aims. 🙂

 

Sodalite and Malachite Sterling Silver Gumleaf Earrings

sodalite, malachite and silver gum-leaf earrings

There’s a nod to the sky and the sea and the forest in these sodalite, malachite, and silver gum-leaf earrings I created last year for my client George.

Sodalite and Malachite Sterling Silver Gumleaf Earrings

As part of the design process, I sent George some pictures of combinations of different gemstones from my available gemstone collection. He chose sodalite and malachite as a lovely combo. We added the gum-leaves for a lovely subtle nature themed earring. George thought they looked great, and they went off to a new home overseas. I’m always so happy when my clients like the pieces I’ve made. It’s always exciting when they’re headed off to various corners of the globe. I have made some well travelled jewels!Sodalite and Malachite Sterling Silver Gumleaf Earrings

Tool of the Month – Soldering Torch

Silver Soldering Torch

One of the most important pieces of equipment a jeweller needs is the soldering torch. I use an LPG gas torch. LPG is a mixture of propane and butane.

Nearly every piece requires some amount of soldering. Soldering is the process of joining two pieces of metal together by heating them, using a material of another similarly coloured and structured alloy metal with a lower melting point than the metal being joined.

Silver Soldering Torch

There are three types of silver solder commonly used:
Hard solder – the highest melting point of between 745-778⁰C.
Medium solder – melting point of between 720-765⁰C.
Easy solder – the lowest melting point of between 705-723⁰C.

As sterling silver melts at 893⁰C, the solder will reach melting point before the silver and fuse the two pieces together.

Silver Soldering Torch

Flux is painted onto the surfaces to be soldered to prevent oxidization and firescale and ensure that the solder will fuse to the metal. I use borax, which you can see in the dish at the back of my heat resistant blocks.

Silver Soldering

Paillons of solder are positioned so that they touch both pieces of metal to be joined.  The entire piece is heated evenly with the torch to the melting point of the solder, causing the solder to run and join the pieces of metal together.

Once the metal has cooled, the piece is placed in a sulphuric acid solution (which is known as pickle) until it is a white silver colour to remove any oxide and flux, then it is rinsed in water and dried.

Swirl Ball Cuff Ring

This ring is an example of a piece that required soldering. The ring itself is soldered together at the bottom. The swirls and the balls are all soldered individually to the top of the ring.

One of the many joys of silver is that no matter how many times it is heated, melted, beaten, bent, twisted, cut, it maintains the same qualities and substance, so can be repurposed over and over again. I’m proud to say that the supplier I source my silver from manufacture right here in Australia using reclaimed silver wherever possible, so that no unnecessary mining takes place. This recycled silver is refined and tested to ensure that it is 100% pure sterling silver. The planet thanks us!