I have lots of silver trimmings left over from making my earwires, which I melt down into the balls I use in my work, and the recycled studs (see other listings).
When I made a few of these balls a bit larger than I anticipated (the balls do like to roll around whilst I'm blowtorching them, like mercury!) I thought they'd look great hammered and with a shape stamped in.
They've been popular at fairs and shops, so I've now listed them here - with either hearts or flowers stamped in.
After making the ballls, I flatten them slightly by whacking with a hammer, then annealling and stamping the design - Let me know if you'd like a pair with initials stamped into them, or if you have something else you'd like to see in particular
I've creatd the patination using Liver Of Sulphur, which I've neutralised and sealed, with Renaissance Wax (see additional information section)
They come, of course, with slightly more generous 925 sterling butterfly backs for comfort.
I will make these in small batches of 2 or 3 pairs at a time, so the precise orientation of the stamping and the exact size of the pebble will vary slightly, as may the exact colour of the patination - you can see examples of the variation in the final photos where I have my latest batches lined up in my hand
If you would prefer a pair made iwithout patination, please message me and I will make a pair, just for you!
Also let me know if you would like to mix and match a pair with any of my other listings (or indeed if you want to buy just one) as that can be arranged :-)Size = 7mm x 6mm approx
Shown on a UK penny, with a 2 cent (Euro) and 1 dime (USA) coins for scale.
Recycled, stamped 925 sterling silver heart or floral studs
Sterling Silver will eventually oxidise or tarnish. It's a natural process that can be slowed down by regular wear and by keeping unworn items away from the atmosphere. If you leave your jewellery out on display, this oxidisation will be faster. You can polish up your items, with a soft cloth, some silver polish, or a buffing cloth such as Town Talk, which is readily available from any high street jewellers in the UK
Fine silver is 99.9% silver, and because of this the tarnish rate is much, much slower. Again, a buff should do the job for polishing it back up. If I have patinated your silver already, be gentle when buffing!
Each piece should stand up to regular wear, but , as with all jewellery, please remove it before washing, using chemicals or applying perfume etc
Apply body lotion and perfume a few minutes before putting on your jewellery to help slow down tarnish
The sterling silver used in these items was sold to me by my bullion dealer as certified recycled.
The gemstones I use have been sold to me by reputable dealers as untreated (unless stated specifically in the listing). They are a natural, organic creation from the earth and each one will be slightly different. You can see examples of this on my Facebook page.
I select the stones that I think go together best for each project, hence my comments that each item is individual.