Classes start and the Flat Pendant

The course I am taking is well structured to develop the student bit by bit with each new item of jewelry building on concepts learnt in previous modules, with each module you come out with a nice wearable piece of jewelry.


I started with the absolute basics; workshop safety and ettiquette, detailing  of tools their identification and uses, such as saws,  files,  pliers, drills etc. the melting torch and the soldering torch.


We then moved onto the melting and alloying of silver (all the training is in silver as it is much cheaper than gold) 
Work is done with sterling silver - instruction demonstrated the ratio's of silver to copper 92.5% silver to 7.5% copper and then the mixing of the metals in the melting crucible and pouring into the ingot mold,

Pure Silver and Copper

This in turn led onto the first process of making flat silver plate with a lot of hard work rolling the ingot through the roller and annealing the silver between rollings to soften the metal to make flat plate. 

Sterling Silver Ingot

Annealing silver plate between rolling