My hair is red. It didn’t used to be. It used to be an ashy blonde/brown (blah, boring) that didn’t really go with my complexion—so much for genetics.

My Hair.  Red.

I had never before dyed my hair, and this was a big step. Huge, because I used henna (the good henna, from here: http://www.hennaforhair.com/) and henna is permanent. Not wash-out-in-a few-months.  I'm talking permanent. Drunk tattoo on the small-of-your-back permanent. Once you dye with henna, there’s no going back.


As it turns out, I was meant to be a redhead. Henna makes for a very natural-looking dye job, done right, and it goes perfectly with my complexion, thank you very much, not to mention my personality. Some have said it gives people fair warning. Ok. They’re right.


People that have met me since the plunge assume I’ve always been a redhead. Friends and relations, to be honest, were a little shocked at first, but they’ve gotten used to it over the past year and a half. And they’d better, because I LIKE being a redhead. Far more than I ever dreamed. I am not going back.


For one, redheads are treated differently. Blonds, I’m told, are treated differently, too, but I’m telling you, redheads get R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I’ve got an Aretha soundtrack following me around wherever I go.


For another, there is no anonymity. I can be spotted all the way across Lowe’s. No more surprise, sneaky shopping trips to the hardware store for me. The secret diva within me can live with that.


At this point, you may be wondering what on earth this has to do with jewelry. This is, after all, supposed to be a jewelry blog. I’m getting there—have patience.


The third thing that I’ve discovered as a redhead is that it completely changes my wardrobe palette, down to my jewelry.


Copper, ladies (and gentlemen, should there be any). Copper is my new best friend. I never wore copper before. It didn’t look right.

And now, it does. I love it bright and shiny. I love it with the warm patina age brings. I love it oxidized. And, like many of the newly converted, I’ve become an evangelist.

At shows, women walk up to my jewelry. I see that hint of auburn in their hair (I never realized how many redheads there are out there) and lean in. “Do you wear much copper? You should—it would look great on you. Try these earrings.” And, it’s not just a sell—it DOES look great on them. I am converting women all over the Mid-South, and I’m proud.

Copper. It’s going to be big. Oh, yeah, it is. Watch, and see.

--Leigh

But wait, there's more!

Yesterday I covered (briefly) the main kinds of silver you’ll see. Here’s more:

(And if you’re looking for pictures, I’ll have to disappoint you. That’s what imaginations are for, right?)

A Quick Review
Pure silver is soft (like pure gold). This is called Fine Silver. Beautiful, and doesn’t tarnish, but it’s too soft to stand up to daily wear, so it's alloyed (mixed) with other metals to make it durable enough.

Sterling silver is the result of mixing fine silver with the other metals. 92.5% silver is the minimum to be called sterling. You'll sometimes see this marked as .925 (stamped, very, very tiny).

So, why does sterling silver tarnish?
Pure silver doesn't tarnish, but it's too soft. Traditional Sterling Silver has copper, and it's copper that reacts with the air to form the tarnish (oxide). Think about copper pennies—they start out bright and shiny, but quickly age to a brown. That’s what the copper in sterling silver is doing.

If copper tarnishes, why do they use it?
Workability and appearance. Other metals might not tarnish, but, when mixed with silver, they don’t make a product that is as attractive or usable. Copper does. Until recently, it was the best option for people looking for an affordable, durable silver. Tarnishing was the price you had to pay, so to speak.

We live a fabulous modern age—is there something better?
Well, in the past 10 years, there have been some exciting developments. (Not exciting like the Saints winning the Super Bowl. Exciting if you're a metalsmith or love to wear silver, though). New metals have been added to the alloy along with the copper to create sterling silver with new properties.

The best of these new properties if you wear silver jewelry is TARNISH RESISTANCE. (Insert your favorite trumpet fanfare here. I like a basic dum, dah-dah DUMMM, but your preferences may vary.)
That's right. The new silvers tarnish far more slowly that traditional sterling.

You may have noticed the most popular (and affordable) of these: Argentium Sterling Silver. Tiffany’s is using it, along with some of the top silversmiths in the country, and it’s starting to become more available for us lowly folks, too. That's my preferred silver now—all the sterling silver I use is Argentium. It is a little bit more expensive that traditional sterling—5-10% higher--but the tarnish resistance (dum, dah-dah DUMMM) is worth it.

Now, not only is it tarnish resistant (trumpet fanfare) but it also has some properties that make it nice to work with.

One is fusing (heating it with a torch until it melts slightly so it can form bonds). Traditional Sterling Silver is joined using solder, which has it’s advantages, too, but I'll not go into those here.

Another feature of Argentium sterling is that it doesn't get firescale, which is not the disastrous after-effect of a dragon encounter you might think, but a darkening of the silver that can happen when you heat it in the presence of oxygen. Preventing firescale requires additional steps when soldering and removing firescale often involves a variety of tools including swearing, and is generally a pain in the bench.

Those good properties of Argentium are also properties of fine silver, too, so you get the benefits of fine silver (tarnish-resistance, workability) with the strength and durability of sterling silver.

Why doesn’t Argentium tarnish easily?
Argentium Sterling has some of the copper replaced with germanium, which reacts with the atmosphere differently. Instead of forming a dark layer, it forms a clear protective layer—think of it like a clearcoat on your car’s paint job.

Notice I say tarnish-resistant, not NON-tarnishing. Argentium silver will tarnish, just far more slowly than standard sterling. And, when it tarnishes, it turns a yellowish color rather than the dark gray/black of standard sterling. I’ve had pieces made from Argentium sterling out in the air for months on end with no noticeable tarnish. Can’t say the same thing for standard sterling.

In addition to Argentium, there are also sterling alloys with Palladium and Platinum. The pricier alloys used in these make them more expensive than standard sterling and Argentium. They’re thought to have the same tarnish-resistant (trumpet fanfare) properties as Argentium, but because they’re so new, the jury’s still out. For now, Argentium is the most affordable, not to mention available of the new alloys. I love it, and love working with it.

What about other kinds of silver?

I covered some of the basics yesterday: Silver Plate, Sterling Silver and Fine Silver. Here are a few more you might encounter while shopping.

Nickel Silver: an alloy of Copper, Nickel and Zinc. Notice that silver isn’t part of the alloy, just the name. While it’s silver-colored, it’s not silver, no matter the name. It is sometimes used as a base for plated silver. Many people are sensitive to the nickel and don’t tolerate wearing it as jewelry. It is a useful metal, though, and is used to make musical instruments (the French Horn I used to play was Nickel Silver) and a lot of very serviceable items, like zippers. And keys. Both important things in my life.

German Silver : See Nickel Silver.

Alpaca Silver: While it sounds like a traditional silver from South America carried from the mines on the backs of Llamas, it’s really the same as German Silver and Nickel Silver. Sometimes called New Silver. As in, all things old are new again, is my guess.

Bali Silver: These days, it’s more of as style of bead or charm than jewelry made in a particular location, but it used to mean sterling silver jewelry (beads, component or completed piece) made by Bali artisans in the Bali Style—often ornamented and oxidized (blackened in the recessed areas). Make sure any Bali Silver you buy is sterling, because some unscrupulous folks try to pass off cheap silver-plated replicas as the real thing, and shame on them.

Thai Silver/Hill Tribe Silver: Sterling Silver jewelry or components that are hand-crafted by the hill tribes of northern Thailand using traditional techniques. Often has a higher percentage of silver that sterling.

Remember, price is a good guide. If the price seems too good to be true, you’re probably not dealing with “real” silver—that is, Fine Silver or Sterling Silver. Nothing wrong with the other kinds, but they’re not silver. /Fine for fun jewelry, but they’re not something you’re likely to be handing down to the next generation.

Silver, Schmilver--it's all the same, right?

Nope, but it sure can be confusing.

Here's a quick primer on what you'll find when shopping for jewelry:

Silver Plated:
Thin layer of silver plated onto a base metal (nickel, steel, brass or copper). Tarnishes easily, and the plating can wear off. Inexpensive--if someone is selling "silver" for a ridiculously low price, it's probably silver-plated, not sterling. You do get what you pay for. Fine for fun, occasional jewelry, but not for something you wear every day. Some people are more sensitive to silver-plated jewelry than sterling silver.

Sterling Silver:
Sterling Silver (92.5% silver alloyed with copper or another metal for strength). Tarnishes when exposed to air because of the alloys. Durable silver you can polish with a polishing cloth or your favorite polish.

Argentium Sterling Silver:
Sterling Silver (92.5% silver alloyed with germanium and other metals) that's tarnish resistant. When it does tarnish, it turns a golden color, not the black of traditional sterling. It is a bit more expensive than traditional sterling, but to me, it's definitely worth it. (I'll have more information on why tomorrow.) Many people sensitive to sterling silver can wear Argentium silver.

Fine Silver:
Pure Silver, usually too soft for making wearable items, but it used for making the bezels (ring) around stones. So, if someone is advertising their jewelry as “Pure Silver” it probably isn’t. They likely mean Sterling Silver.

I'll have more detailed information on silver tomorrow, so be sure to check back in.

Oxidizing vs. Tarnishing

Someone asked me the difference between oxidizing and tarnishing. (One of the rings I listed recently on my etsy shop has an oxidized finish.) http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.92244306.jpg
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31464153

Oxidizing is intentional tarnishing, usually using liver of sulfur. Yep, sulfur. Cool effects, smelly process!

I often oxidize copper, but rarely do it with silver, since I usually prefer a bright look in silver. There are times, though, when an oxidized finish is the best choice.

Oxidizing is often used to achieve an antiqued look, but it can also be used to bring out the detail in a piece. It's especially effective when there is a lot of detail, in wire, say, that would be lost in a brightly polished finish.

The LOS is applied to the metal, you wait a little while until the metal darkens enough to get the look you want. Next you remove the tarnish in the areas you want highlighted--this is usually done painstakingly by hand, using a light abrasive. Afterwards, the piece is polished again.

It's a lot of work to make a piece look old, but the effect can be worth it!

In the next few days, I'll post a picture of a cross I recently made where oxidizing is used to bring out the detail. It drastically changes the look. Check back to see what you think of the difference.


-- Leigh

Learning a lesson

I had made a bracelet for a regular customer--a Helms/Parallel bracelet in 18 gauge, with a toggle clasp. She was thrilled, and wore it daily. Until it fell off when she was reaching across her desk.

Why? While it's looks airy and makes a beautiful bracelet or necklace, Helms weave is the least sturdy of the chainmaille weaves I work with.

Most chainmaille patterns have than multiple rings being interwoven, lending their strength to each other like in Byzantine (my two-year-old once grabbed a byzantine chain around my neck and hung from it with NO damage to the chain--can't say as much for my neck).

Helms, also known as Parallel weave, is an airy weave with single larger rings going smaller doubled rings. In a heavier gauge, like 16, say, this is not usually an issue. But 18 gauge rings don't have the strength that the 16 gauge rings have, particularly with a large ring as used in Helms weave. That makes a Helms chain crafted from 18 gauge rings lovely and lightweight, but also vulnerable to damage. If one of these single rings catches on something, it may open, and come loose from the rest of the chain. Not usually a problem for necklaces, but bracelets see more action, as it were, and they are more likely to catch on something.

That's what happened to my customer. Fortunately, she didn't lose the bracelet, and brought it to me for repair. She apologized (SHE apologized!) and I apologized, too. I was embarrassed, and I was going to make sure I reduced the chances of this happening again.

How? Heat hardening. One of the marvelous properties of Argentium Sterling is that you can harden it in a home oven--550 degrees for 2 hours will do the trick. Unfortunately, this does discolor the silver and requires pickling in an acidic solution or LOTS of polishing to return the color to it's normal state.

Hardening a Helms chain made from 18G wire won't make it breakproof, but it will make it less likely for a ring to open if it catches on something.

So, that's what I did for my customer. I returned the bracelet to her, she's been very happy with it, and I learned a valuable lesson. I don't heat treat all my jewelry now--it's not necessary for most weaves--but I do it for the more delicate pieces that might be more prone to damage if I didn't.

My Updated Etsy Shop

Well, I've finally gotten more items in my Etsy Shop.

Sometimes it seems like making the jewelry is the easy part! After that's done, the work begins.

Writing the copy.
Measuring the jewelry.
Photographing.
Editing photos.

Realizing that every single shot you just took of that bracelet is slightly out of focus and reshooting it.

Going back to reshoot and discovering that your 2-year-old decided he wanted the "blankie" you were using as a backdrop and it's now on the couch, and everything that was on it is now on the floor.

Finally getting the shot you need, editing it, and starting the upload. On dial-up.
Waiting. . .

What did I learn? Pretty basic things for veteran ebayers or estyians, but not for newbies like me:

• Use naptime. This, like many other things is much easier when the little ones are not underfoot.
• Work in a production-line when possible--once you get your settings set, take all the pictures at once, edit at once and upload when you can.
• Keep your backgrounds similar or at least consistent in color tones--this provides a more unified look to your listings.
• When taking your pictures, don't forget to leave plenty of cropping room so you can edit it into a square for uploading to Etsy.
• Artistic shots are nice, but make sure your work is the focus.
• Don't forget to measure each piece as you photograph it or when you're writing the copy, and WRITE IT DOWN. After 3 or 4, if you're like me you can't remember which bracelet was 8 inches long and which was 7.
• Keep the copy for each item in a Word (or your favorite word processing) file, along with any standard things you want to say (in my case, information about Argentium Sterling Silver) and your basic product tags and labels for those times you are brain dead and can't remember them. This makes it easy to cut and paste into the fields when you are creating your listing.

Well, it's done and I finally have more than 4 items in my shop: 22 and more on the way. Come check it out! http://www.twiningvinedesigns.etsy.com/ I welcome (and encourage) your feedback.

How I Do It

People often ask me how I find time to make my jewelry.

Besides the obvious answer that people find time to do the things they want to do, the actuality is that I make it whenever and wherever I can.

I'd love to say I have a dedicated timberframe studio in the woods where I sit in a solitary artistic reverie, creating and building my designs (ah, wouldn't that be nice?), but the reality is that I'm a busy mom of two young boys with another full time job and a long commute to get there.

So, where do I make my jewelry? In the car (as a passenger, of course)! On a plane. Sitting at my table, in my comfy chair or standing at my desk. Sometimes, on my lunch break.

How? I've come up with a portable workstation that I carry with me. It's two parts: 1) a thin, clear plastic paper storage box from The Container Store, where I keep my current project along with my pliers and work glasses. On one side I have put a foam pad to keep the rings from rolling too much. I can carry this with me easily and open it up on my lap, lapdesk, desk and be ready to work in an instant.

The second part is my case for all my rings. I had been using a storage box from the fishing department, but my dear sister gave me a craft storage tote that works perfectly (Thanks Karen!).

With both of these, I can make my jewelry anywhere. Yes, I'd love to have a dedicated studio, but, to be honest, I love the portability and accessibility of my traveling one.