http://syndicator.myimplace.com/tree-of-life-jewelry-2/ Making silver jewelry is a challenge, especially for a beginner.Material costs are high so mistakes are extremely costly. That is one reason that I enjoy working in precious metal clay (PMC).
If you make up a piece but haven’t fired it yet, you can rehydrate it and start over. It is very forgiving. Working with silver wire is not so forgiving. Oh yes, you can try straightening the wire and starting over but you have to be careful of making unwanted marks and kinks. That is a reason to use a protective coating on your jewelry tools.An Example of Torch Fired PMC Earring Dangles, waiting for me to decide how best to set off the Egyptian designs that I embossed into the raw clay.So how do you deal with these challenges?The best answer is to first work up a prototype in a less expensive material such as copper. If you are working in PMC and don’t like to rehydrate then an alternative is to use polymer clay. Polymer clays such as Kato come in metallic silver so it can give you a decent idea of a finished piece. In both cases, you are dealing with a more inexpensive product so you have less to lose.
You also are expanding your skills by working with different materials. You must keep in mind that silver has different properties than copper. It is softer than copper. You may be making silver jewelry using half-hard round wire but land up using dead soft copper in your prototype.An Unfired PMC pendant formed from PMC clay lump that is textured and dried on a cup warmer for ten minutes. The surface becomes gray and brittle before firing.Once fired it is strong, .925 sterling silver.Make as many prototypes as you need to get it right. If I am adding a bead to a design, I will use a different bead in each prototype I create. You’ve heard of happy accidents. That is what you get sometimes when designing a prototype. You should also wear the sample yourself. You want to make sure that it doesn’t present any difficulties for your future customer like a particularly sharp point on a component or a dangle from a French ear wire that doesn’t show particularly well but looks smashing when attached to a post finding. If making silver jewelry is so chancy then why bother, you ask. Give the customer what they want and there is a high demand for silver jewelry designs. After a while, you will move away from prototypes as your confidence and skills increase. However, getting there can be half of the fun!Contact me today about making a custom handmade jewelry item for you.Go to more Jewelry making online.
