I've been asked for years to make these, but it's only now that I feel able to saw and file the hook well enough to be calibrated as a traditional size and to do so speedily enough to make them affordable, albeit at the luxury end of the scale!
I buy sterling silver rod at the diameter needed (eg 2.5mm for the 2.5 hook), saw, file and polish the throat of the hook and then embellish the handle with some texture
My favourite texture is to 'nibble' the handle as shown as it gives a little grip to the piece and will tarnish beautifully, but other options are available if you are commissioning a hook from me
Once I've finished them I send them away for Edinburgh Assay to test and hallmark
Gems are flush set on return from assay
I have a couple of standard 13cm long 2.5 and 3.5mm hooks currently available for dispatch, with other sizes being made to order
Please see my other listing for the other sizes
You can also choose to have a small gemstone flush set in the end; the emerald you can see in the photos is a 2.3mm brillant cut stone, flushset into a 3.5mm hook, (this particular hook sold at Kernow Spring YAFF)
There's a £25 premium added for me to set a stone in the end (a stone under 3mm in size and of an affordable nature - diamonds and tsavorites are available on request ) Please see my other listing to 'add on' this option
Current time scales for made to order items that need to be posted off to Edinburgh for Assay are about 2-3 months, but this varies, so please do contact me to check where I am in that process.
All my silver is now bought as certified recycled eco-silver, made from 100% scrap / recycled silver which has been fully refined to ensure it is of the same quality as traditional sterling, but of course without the environmental impact of mining it.
Sterling Silver Crochet Hook
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.