Jewelry is a perpetual expression of human interest, beauty and wealth. The object is a possession valued not only in its appeal and in its worth, but also in the sentimental importance that the owner places on it. Sterling silver jewelry is an item in this product category where customer admiration, appreciation and concern increase its demand in the current market. This type of jewelry business is flooded with different brands and each has a promise quality and beautiful styles, designs and options. In creating this jewelry, every silversmith should master three skills. The skills are soldering, annealing and piercing. These three skills are essentials in producing good quality silver work. Soldering is a common activity for almost all metal workers. It is the union of two metals of the same kind or of two different types through heating, melting and softening. In silver work, one heats the silver and the solder, which is a metal alloy, is the used to fill the space created. There are four types of soldering base used on silver, depending on their melting temperatures, which are the easy, medium, hard and enameling. Soldering requires patience and caution to achieve the properly desire results. Some of the tools used for silver jewelry soldering are the butane micro-torch, a solder pad, silver solder paste, a quench dish, a solder pick, handle tweezers and steel wool. Annealing is the softening of silver using heat. The process is essential to make the silver surface malleable to apply work. In annealing, the heated silver gains a dull pink look. The process of softening depends on the silver metal and the work required. The temperature degree for silver is 1110°. If a person is new in annealing silver, they can try their skill first on a base metal. Piercing means the cutting of silver plate into a form or shape. It is also the forming and shaping into an object which encloses another item. The tools used here are a precision saw with a U-shaped casing. Annealing requires rhythmical and accurate action to cut the silver plate into its desired size and shape. These works are best used in silver pendants, especially those with decorative shapes. These three skills are the necessary activities in creating sterling silver jewelry. The beauty and creativity of jewelry is the products of these three skills and the user’s mastery of such techniques.
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