Reticulated Sterling and Wire Earrings
- Category: Metalwork
- Technique(s): Making Findings, Butane Torch Techniques
- Skill Level: Intermediate
When you heat a piece of sterling over and over, it brings the copper to the surface. When you pickle and clean each time, you're removing that copper. What's left is almost pure silver, filled with ridges and valleys.
Materials
24 Gauge Dead Soft Sterling Silver Sheet - 6 Inches
H8-24SM6
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
- Price: $186.87
- Gold Club Price: $140.15
21 Gauge Round Half Hard 1/10 Sterling Silver Filled Wire
H10-21H
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 feet
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
- Price: $2.41
- Gold Club Price: $1.81
24 Gauge Round Half Hard .925 Sterling Silver Wire
H8-24H
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 feet
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
- Price: $5.82
- Gold Club Price: $4.37
26 Gauge Round Half Hard .925 Sterling Silver Wire
H8-26H
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 feet
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
- Price: $3.79
- Gold Club Price: $2.85
Tools
Blazer ES-1000 Angled Head Micro Torch, Red
TRCH-1000
- TRCH-1000
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $74.95
- Gold Club Price: $56.21
Ceramic Honeycomb Soldering Board
SOL-430.00
- SOL-430.00
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $12.95
- Gold Club Price: $9.71
Sheet Solder Variety Pack
SOL-860.90
- SOL-860.90
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $17.95
- Gold Club Price: $13.46
Copper Pickling Tweezers, Curved, Reinforced, 8-1/2 Inches
TWZ-959.00
- TWZ-959.00
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $9.95
- Gold Club Price: $7.46
Aqui Flux, 1/2 Pint Spray Bottle
SOL-932.03
- SOL-932.03
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $8.95
- Gold Club Price: $6.71
Pickle Pot, 16 Ounces
CLN-584.00
- CLN-584.00
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $31.95
- Gold Club Price: $23.96
Sparex Number 2 Pickling Compound
SOL-802.10
- SOL-802.10
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $7.95
- Gold Club Price: $5.96
Bench Blocks - 130 X 130 X 20
DUR-1187
- DUR-1187
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $66.67
- Gold Club Price: $50.00
Chasing Hammer with Wooden Handle, 1 1/8 Inch Face
G3-27
- G3-27
- Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
- Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
- Price: $13.95
- Gold Club Price: $10.46
Instructions
Step 1
Cut 2 pieces of 24g sterling silver sheet to size 4 or 5 on the ring gauge, sand and file.
Step 2
Reticulate the piece by placing the pieces of silver on soldering block and heating to create peaks in valleys in the metal.
Quench pickle and repeat 7-10 times.
Quench pickle and repeat 7-10 times.
Step 3
Form around the ring mandrel then solder the seam using hard solder.
Quench, pickle and clean.
Quench, pickle and clean.
Hammer the edges of the metal ring so they become irregular, almost ruffled along the edges.
Step 4
Form 2 jump rings to attach to the rings.
Solder in place using medium solder, quench, pickle clean.
Solder in place using medium solder, quench, pickle clean.
Step 5
Using wire gauge of your choice form 3 hoops, and thread andalusite stone on one hoop, amethyst on another and thread garnet on the last one.
Carefully thread each hoop through the ring.
Carefully thread each hoop through the ring.
Place on soldering block, and solder the wire rings together, for these stones I fired in place while they were on the hoop, they did not break.
However in most other cases, I use Kool Jewel to protect the stones from the heat.
However in most other cases, I use Kool Jewel to protect the stones from the heat.
Step 6
For the ear wire I used 21 gauge and cut it to 2 ½ -3 in. and drew a ball on the end.
Formed around a sharpie marker to create the ear wire.
Insert the ear wire into the soldered hoop.
Form a wrapped loop to connect to the hoop.
Formed around a sharpie marker to create the ear wire.
Insert the ear wire into the soldered hoop.
Form a wrapped loop to connect to the hoop.
Using steel wool clean the hoops.
Repeat the entire process for the other earring.
Repeat the entire process for the other earring.
Supply Detail
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Cheryl Strait
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