Silver is the whitest metal on the planet and has been used in many ways by mankind for thousands of years. Today it is used in jewelry, currency, medicine, and art. The silver jewelry company I work for uses recycled metals and ethically-sourced gemstones to create beautiful pieces that customers can feel good about wearing.
It is a very malleable and ductile metal that can be molded and formed with ease. However, it is prone to fire-scale if not treated properly during manufacturing.
History
Silver is the most popular precious metal in jewelry, and for good reason. It has been in use for centuries and is one of the world’s most malleable metals, making it a great choice for jewellery design.
While gold was the first precious metal used in jewelry, it is silver that has remained the most widely used since. This is because of its versatility, durability and affordability.
In ancient times, jewelry was primarily made of feathers, shells, bone and colored pebbles. They were fashioned into adornments that evoked natural imagery and tribal emblems.
In the Middle Ages, Byzantine jewelry took on a rich tradition with oriental symbolism and rich colors. Cloisonné enameling, where a glass glaze is poured into pre-soldered patterns or cells and fired at a high temperature to create a permanent design, flourished throughout this period.
Techniques
As we move through the centuries, many different techniques have been used in silver jewelry manufacturing. Some are very old, like metal stamping, while others are newer, such as 3D printing.
Traditionally, silver jewelry was hand-made using a variety of techniques that required skill and a lot of practice to get right. Today, a wide variety of equipment is available to help aspiring jewelers create their own unique pieces.
One of the most common techniques used in silver smithing is soldering. Depending on the type of metal, it can be difficult to get a good seal between two pieces of metal. Soldering is a process that involves heating the edges of the metal and then pushing them together. This helps keep the jewelry together while it dries, and also prevents any breakage.
Materials
Silver is a white metallic element, harder than gold but softer than copper. It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, making it a perfect material for jewelry manufacturing.
It does not corrode or succumb to water damage, and is extremely resistant to acidic and alkali substances. In addition, silver is a very malleable metal, which allows it to be manipulated in intricate ways for jewelry design.
In addition to sterling silver, a variety of other alloys are used in jewelry making. Many of these have other metals in them, such as nickel and iron.
Alloys can also make a silver-based metal stronger or more durable. Some of these include rhodium and palladium.
Another new type of alloy is called non-tarnish silver. It is made with at least 92.5% silver, and it substitutes some of the remaining copper with Germanium, which absorbs and nullifies atmospheric chemicals that cause silver to tarnish over time.
Design
Throughout the history of jewelry design, silver has been a popular material. It is durable, affordable and has an elegant and timeless appearance that can be incorporated into many different types of designs.
However, since pure silver is a very soft metal and often does not work well for functional items, it has been alloyed with other types of metals. This is called an alloy and can be a great way to increase the strength and durability of the product.
In modern times, the manufacturing of jewelry has become much more efficient and easier than in the past. Today’s private label jewelry manufacturers use CAD (computer-aided design) software to create new and unique designs quickly and efficiently.
This process can greatly simplify the manufacturing of prototypes that are necessary to test a designer’s final idea before it is made into real silver jewelry. It also eliminates the need to create wax models by hand. Instead, a computer-aided design software program can be used to create a CAD file that is transferred to a 3D printer to create an exact replica of the original design
