Hallmarking for silver jewellery was introduced as a way of proving that the jewellery contained the correct percentage of silver. Pure silver is quite soft and it is usual to add a percentage of copper to strengthen it. The normal ratio is 92.5% silver to 7.5% copper hence sterling silver is often referred to as 925 silver. As it is impossible to tell without analysis what the true content is hallmarking was introduced as a mark of quality and assurance.
Jewellery is hallmarked in the UK if the silver content of the jewellery exceeds 7.78 grams, if it is below this figure the piece is exempt. The relevant weight for gold is 1 gram and platinum 0.5 grams. The assay office is responsible for hallmarking, the pieces to be hallmarked are sent via post or courier or can be taken by hand to the office. Once there the item is tested and hallmarked if the precious metal is of the desired standard and percentage.
There are various types of hallmark; a maker’s mark, assay office stamp, standard hallmark and year of manufacture. In 1988 the regulations were changed to bring the UK into line with the rest of Europe. The old hallmarks were made non compulsory and standards were to be expressed as parts per thousand. So the hallmark for pure silver jewellery is 999, sterling 925 and 18ct gold 750 etc.
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Hallmarking & Silver Jewellery
Mens Jewellery
The Silver Jewellery Workshop will soon be adding a range of mens jewellery to its collections. The exciting new range will include mens bracelets, pendants, necklaces and rings. Our wedding collection will also contain a selection of cufflinks to accompany our bridal jewellery. All our new pieces will, of course, be guaranteed sterling silver and competitively priced. Regular updates will be posted when the range is launched and as new products are added.
New Handmade Jewellery Blog
We are pleased to announce a new blog specifically concentrating on the world of handcrafted jewellery.The Bespoke Jewellery Blog is an exciting new blog written by our designers focusing specifically on the world of handmade jewellery and will include articles, discussions, tutorials, tips and advice. The Silver Jewellery Workshop blog will continue to discuss and review the latest news and trends and give advice on selecting, purchasing and caring for your jewellery.
Jewellery Making Classes
I’ve spent most of this evening preparing for my upcoming polymer clay jewellery class which is on Monday. Five ladies are atttending the class at “Tutti’s” restaurant in Gran Alicant. The owner Sirus lets me use his upstairs room and supplies a delicious lunch as well. We are going to make geometric design polymer beads on silver wire; bracelet, pendant and earrings. Everything is made from scratch, including the findings. The ladies have a jewellery class about once a month and have learnt, among other thing, jewellery making with art clay silver, silver wire and polymer beads. I always like to practice what I’m going to do beforehand as occasionally something crops up that I hadn’t thought about.
Tonight I had major problems conditioning some of the clay. Some colours are harder to condition than others and crumble a lot, my hands were really hurting afterwards. A good tip is to put just a drop of baby oil on your fingers when conditioning the clay by hand and this helps to soften the polymer. It shouldn’t be a problem on Monday as I am taking my husband and conditioning the clay is his job. Well enough of the talk, the beads are due out of the oven. I’ll post some pictures of the stuff we made on Monday.
Polymer Clay & Jewellery
Polymer Pendant & Beads
My latest obsession in making jewellery is using polmer clay. Polymer clay is so versatile, it is not only used to make all types of jewellery but also figurines, cake toppers, decorations and so much more. It’s such a versatile medium.
So what is polymer clay? - Polymer clay is a pliable bendable compound made up of fine particles of PVC suspended in plasticer. It is not a true clay by definition but what makes it so special is it’s versatility. It comes in many, vibrant colours which can be mixed together to make new, original colours. As the colour is present in the PVC particles the different coloured clays can be used together without the colour blending for special effects such as caneworking and marbling. Once the clay is conditioned it’s easy to work with and can be moulded, pressed or sculpted into almost any shape. Another advantage is that, unlike normal clay, polymer clay does not dry out so you can work with it without having a time limit. Finally the temperature required to fuse the particles together is relatively low and the pieces can be fired in a domestic oven. Once fired the piece can be filed, sanded and varnished to give different matt or gloss effects.
Polymer & Silver Bracelet
Do I need specialist equipment? – The simple answer is no. You can start working with polymer clay with hardly any specialist tools or equipment. All you need to start with is a shiny flat surface (a ceramic tile or glass cutting board is ideal) to work on, something to roll the clay, an unserrated knife to slice the clay, if you are making beads, wooden cocktail sticks or skewers to pierce the beads and finally an oven to fire the clay. Thats it! Later you may want to invest in a pasta machine (to roll the clay flat), cutters and extruders but you don’t need all that when you start.
Where do I find out more? - The internet has plenty of sites with free tutorials, hints and tips as well as sites to buy the clay and equipment. If you’d like to see more jewellery made using polymer clay have a look at my polymer jewellery. So what are you waiting for? Just google “polymer clay” and get started!