Silver jewelry

Watch the second step of turning molten metal into jewelry by casting. Expert: Courtney Gray Contact: www.courtneygrayarts.com Bio: Courtney Gray is an artist and professional jewelry maker who creates jewelry from the design stage all the way through to the final product.

Video Rating: 4 / 5

Question by Daisyhill: Which of these wedding presents is better?

My friend is getting married in 2 weeks…she did not make a gift registry….she just wanted people to get what they wanted. I don’t have much of a budget…I don’t want to get her something for her house as he taste is SO specific and I know I will get it wrong…I thought of either making up a honeymoon basket with his n hers dressing gowns, a book of poetry, cups and saucers and hot chocolate and chocolates and something else….or getting him a hip flask or cuff links engraved with initials and the wedding date….and her a silver pendant…I know her jewelry style well….so which gift is better in your opinion? Gift basket or hip flask/cuff links and pendant?
Thank’s that was my instinct! I wanted others opinions.

Best answer:

Answer by Samantha S
The jewelry. The gift basket is a cute idea, but they would use the jewelry more and would be a good conversation starter.

Give your answer to this question below!

Watch the third step in casting jewelry from molten silver. Expert: Courtney Gray Contact: www.courtneygrayarts.com Bio: Courtney Gray is an artist and professional jewelry maker who creates jewelry from the design stage all the way through to the final product.

Video Rating: 4 / 5

The Mysterious Flame Of Queen Loana (WIP) 1

Image by the justified sinner

I’ve been invited to put some pieces into the ACJ (Association of Contemporary Jewellers) winter show in Dundee. As it is a "selling exhibition", I decided to make some simpler, less expensive pieces specifically for it. Lady Stevens has temporarily been shelved to make way for Queen Loana.

This is going to be a pendant which is also a perfume flask.

The marvellous piece of steel was found by my best mate, Clive, in the scrap bin at MacMillan fabricators in glasgow. Neither of us has any idea of what it could have been part of. A lucky find! (Especially as there are two of them.)

Creating silver jewellery is a labour of love, but well worth the time expended to create a work of art. The first step is to make a wax model using sheets and strips of wax which are carved in very fine detail to produce the design. In this case the finished items are old fashioned houses. Step two is to produce a casting in silver. This is known as the “lost wax procedure” where the wax model is placed into a flask, and “invested”. Essentially this procedure involves pouring into the flask a solution similar to plaster of paris. This sets very quickly around the wax model. Step 3 involves heating the flask up to a very high temperature in a kiln. This has the effect of burning away the wax, and leaving an empty space where the wax once was. Step 4 is the final process where the casting takes place. Molten silver is poured into the flask to fill the space previosly occupied by the wax model. Step 5 is when it gets exciting to see what has been created in silver. The flask which is still very hot is plunged into a bucket of cold water. Thermal shock causes the “investment” to shatter, leaving the silver casting. This piece has to be filed smooth on the edges, and polished on the front and rear to produce what is eventually worn by someone with pride. The video shows the final smoothing, and polishing taking place

Video Rating: 2 / 5

Question by Angelina♥: silver casting sweets in jewellery class x?

Is it possible to make a flask of plaster up with one of those loveheart sweets on a sprew and cast it in silver?

If so, would it cast well or leave lots of residue?

Any help appreciated x

Best answer:

Answer by tigris
if you think the sweet would burn out cleanly. Not sure what sweet you are talking about, but as they are mostly sugar and therefore carbon they should burn out. If in doubt check with your teacher.

Or you can always try it out, if it doesn’t come out you can always reuse the silver.

I’d probably spray it with something like hair polish or some other varnish before investing it. Just in case the moisture in the plaster will start dissolving it.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

The Mysterious Flame Of Queen Loana (WIP) 5

Image by the justified sinner

How the "flame" will sit on the flask. The idea for this – and by transferrence, the title – came from some of the photographs I took in the Staglieno in Genova.