Update on silver filled…

I thought it might be time to do an update on the silver filled metal I began using in the 2012 season…

In May of 2012 I began offering pieces made from silver filled sheet, clad one side and silver filled wire.  I made pendants, earrings, ear wires & bracelets from this product and I’m happy to say it was very well received…once I explained how the metal is made, along with the price point many people were more than happy to give it a try.   Having said that there will always be those who prefer sterling silver items…

During the summer, I was able to purchase double clad silver filled sheet, silver on both sides…I’m not sure this is an important feature as it didn’t seem to make any difference to my customers if one side was brass…

As a refresher… silver filled metal is a layer of brass to which a layer of sterling silver has been permanently bonded…it will not wear off!  Like sterling silver it will tarnish so keep your pieces in a baggie with an anti tarnish tab, or clean gently with a cleaning cloth.  As with silver avoid exposing your pieces to hairspray or other harsh chemicals.  This product gives the look of sterling silver without the cost!

I found it very easy to work with…texturing is possible with a light touch as it is softer , I soldered sterling and fine silver for detail, it is also possible to sand this metal, although again with a light touch, tumbled all finished pieces for a nice shine and hardness.   In general I treated this metal the same way I would all my sterling silver pieces.

It appears silver filled products have found a place in the silver world, as I’ve noticed there are ear wires, crimps, chains, crimp covers, jump rings, beads, ball pins, tags, all ready made from silver filled metal…that tells me silver filled metal will become a readily used and available product for the future.    I like this as the cost of silver is still high…if fluctuates up and down a few dollars, but continues to stay higher than hoped for in 2012.   I honestly don’t see anything different happening in 2013.

My intention is to continue using the silver filled metal in the 2013 season…

As always feel free to leave a comment or suggestion on my blog or send me an email at hjcote11@gmail.com.

Have a great week…
Cheers

~Culture Days 2012 ~

For those of you who’ve not heard there is a massive movement across Canada to encourage public participation and increase awareness, in the arts and culture aspects in our local community!  This annual event is in its third year.  It happens during the last weekend in September, this year being September 28^th, 29^th, and 30^th.   Culture Days runs for three days but you may participate in the time frame that suits you, all three days or one hour out of the three days…whatever works for you.   Anyone can participate, individuals, groups, organizations, schools, libraries, businesses, etc…to be included in Culture Days your event is required to be “free”, interactive or participatory for those who attend.   For more information the website is www.culturedays.ca.

While the North Bay Farmers’ Market isn’t having a planned event specifically for Culture Days, we’ve been fortunate this season to have three  Buskers who do face painting…on September 29^th   Cathy White will be at the Market painting faces…what child doesn’t like having their face painted! 

The City’s Cultural Round Table will have a booth at the Market this Saturday September 29^th as part of the Culture Days celebration.  At 10:00am Mayor Al McDonald and local dignitaries will be in attendance speaking a few words.  Stop by to hear what they have to say… talk to the members of the Round Table about the wealth of arts and cultural activities in North Bay and surrounding areas.  We are also hoping for a guest musician/singer to perform immediately after the speeches…

Our musical busker for the day, beginning at 8:30am will be local singer/musician Matt Dent, he has been playing guitar solo and in bands for twelve years.  Matt has played a handful of shows around North Bay in the last couple of years with his band The Hometown Hecklers, recently he has been playing his own solo acoustic shows.   Matt’s influences include a wide variety of music from 90's rock to 60's folk some of which he tries to incorporate in his song writing.

To our wonderful customers who visit us weekly “thank you”…for those of you who aren’t aware, the North Bay Farmers' Market offers great product diversity, such as grass fed pork, beef and lamb, fruit & vegetables, heirloom perennials, prepared gourmet foods, handmade body products, jewelry, crafts, honey, and maple syrup.  You are invited to come around and talk to the vendors about their amazing offerings, discuss what the process is to reach the finished product.   Come and show our local farmers, producers, bakers and artisans your support… 

While at the Market…if I’m not talking with a customer I can be found sitting at my table working on something new…stop by, say hello, ask how it’s done…I’m always happy to talk about the process of what I do!

My favourite thing to do right now is work with all my “scrap” silver pieces…it is such a feeling of accomplishment when I see a  piece come alive, it is impossible to make two of a kind, even when I make earrings this way they are similar but different.  Check out the photo of two new recycled silver pieces, a silver nugget, a recycled silver pendant, a fused fine silver heart, and fused fine silver infinity pendant…my favorite is the sterling silver nugget!

PS…in the next few weeks I will be posting my falls shows for the season!

Have a great week…see you Saturday!

Cheers

www.northbayfarmersmarket.ca

Shameless promotional post!

As most of you know I've been doing an article every Monday on baytoday.ca...a local online newspaper.  I've tried to make the post interesting and informative, but I've decided it is now time for a promo post...hence the title of this post...the following is the article on baytoday.ca.

I think it is time I did a shameless promotional post…one that is just about my jewelry, not in relation to something else.

I’ve not shown a great deal of what I’ve been up to in the past two months so thought it was time to show a few photos.  I like the Picasso collage tool and have made a few collages in the past…I thought since I can’t post photos in the actual post on baytoday.ca, but have to have separate pages for each photo, I would do a new collage along with an oldie and a bit newer one.  The oldie is to show where I’ve been and the new collages are to show where I’m going!

The older collage shows Swarovski crystals, pearls, glass, and some silver, primarily as findings, showcasing lots of color and sparkle, much is still current today.   At that time, I was new at the jewelry design business but was looking to the future towards one day working with sterling silver, making my own ear wires, pendants, earrings, cuffs, bracelets, setting stones in bezels, etc…all working with silver.  I didn’t know anything about working with silver but knew where I wanted to go… I could learn!

The newer collage, #2, is showing pearls and Swarovski crystals, for a bride’s foot jewelry, gemstones, and glass, but primarily silver pieces…by this time silver had become my focus.  Four years ago I took a 5 day course on working with silver…loved it, reaffirming my direction.  Since that time I’ve accumulated many tools, some traditional, some I’ve made do with…they did the job.  I’ve made many mistakes but tried to learn from the mistakes.  I’m stubborn, I prefer to do it once… I don’t like to experiment with copper then duplicate in silver, so my mistakes can be costly!!!

The third photo shows the present, I’m in a comfortable place with my pieces…working with “scrap” silver, making earrings and pendants…this is enjoyable as I never know what the end result will be until the piece is, in my mind finished.  I enjoy that aspect of working with my scrap silver, it really allows for the creativity to come through.   I strive to ensure whatever I do has a rugged, rustic, classy, artistic feel to it…I want my work to look hand crafted…the last thing I want is for what I do to look like it came from a traditional jewelry store!  The jewelry store look a good thing…just not what I’m about.

 I encourage custom orders, I don’t mind someone bringing me a photo and asking to have something like it…I’m always happy to do my “version” of what it is they want…but…I would never copy a piece!  Inspiration is a “good thing”, as long as it is used as just that!  

Like any artist I have my moments when the creativity is just not there…when this happens I try to do other things…I enjoy taking photos, making greeting cards, attempting to paint, none of which I’m good at but find pleasurable at times...all the while awaiting the return of my jewelry creativity!   I’ve always said, when it stops being fun it is time to move on!  I’m still here…

Send any comments or suggestions to hjcote11@gmail.com or leave a message on my blog…

Cheers

Does your silver tarnish?

In the past 6 years I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked this question…

It is clear to me many people are not aware sterling, argentium and fine silver will tarnish over time!  How fast sterling silver tarnishes depends on a number of things.  One contributing factor is how pure silver is.  Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% another metal, usually copper; copper is one of the contribute factors to sterling silver tarnishing faster than fine silver.  This is due to the interactions between the silver, copper and sulfide in the air.  The sulfides are found in smoke from burnt raw fuel such as coal or oil, strong smelling foods such as eggs and onions, some fish or shell fish and of course air pollution.  I have actually blackened sterling silver a number of times with a hard-boiled egg by putting the egg yolk and the silver item in a baggy and letting sit until the silver “tarnished”, usually about 24 hours.    Some medications, particularly antibiotics can cause silver to tarnish, this I’d not heard of before.  During the tarnishing process it starts out as a yellowing effect, eventually going dark.  Humidity will result in silver tarnishing faster than usual.   Some people have more acid in there system and may see a discoloration on their skin while wearing silver!

Silver wire that is badly tarnished…it was bagged but not sealed and in the bottom of my silver container under many other bags, for some time...

 I've used sterling silver a great deal over the years and my experience has been some silvers tarnish much faster than others...which makes me believe the makeup of some silver has more copper or different additives as something is definitely different in order for it to tarnish at a faster rate?   The silver items are stored in the same place in the same manner.   I've made a point to purchase my sterling silver from one supplier for this reason and have consistently better results with regards to the issue of tarnishing.

Fine Silver is 99.9% pure silver, it tarnishes at a slower rate than sterling silver…the tarnish will generally be a discoloration rather than a dark tarnish as in the sterling silver, unless it is in an area where there are high pollution and sulpher levels, then it is more likely to be darker. Even so it is usually easier to clean and keep clean fine silver than sterling silver.

To prevent tarnish:

•  One way to help prevent tarnish is to avoid contact with oils, salts and acids on your body…wiping your jewelry     after wearing will help prevent tarnish as our skin is a natural transfer for oils, acids and salts.   This particular statement is surprising to me, as my experience is the more I wear my silver jewelry pieces the less they tarnish…
• Place jewelry in a baggy with an anti tarnish tab, this works…
• I have always said the more you wear your jewelry the less it will tarnish…this has worked consistently for me, even though it isn’t supposed to?
• Silica gel desiccant packets, the ones you get in shoe boxes, work well in a baggy to prevent tarnish! 
• Apply a coat of Renaissance Wax; this is a microcrystalline food safe wax from England.  I’ve used this on occasion, but it is a wax, I don’t like the application process and it leaves a matt finish, which I don’t care for..it isn’t my favorite thing to use.
• Apply a coat of Protectaclear…something I’m going to try.  Non toxic when dry, coating to last 10 years…
• Apply nail polish but this will have to be done often as it wears/chips off very easily. Apply Vintaj Glaze…this is a metal sealer made specifically for metal jewelry.  I’m working with this glaze right now.   This product "Conforms to ASTM D-4236", which is a USA regulatory requirement for art materials, school supplies and toys such as crayons, paint sets, or modeling clay that parents, teachers and child care givers look for.
• One other thing you can do is look for jewelry that is rhodium plated…this will not tarnish.  I purchase chain and findings that are rhodium plated when I can find.   Or you can buy jewelry that has already been oxidized; this jewelry will continue to oxidize but it won’t be noticeable the way it would be on bright silver.   I for one love the look of shiny, bright silver, but if someone requested a piece oxidized I’m happy to do that!

The difference after the top wire was cleaned with a cloth for a few seconds!

How to clean your jewelry

• Simply wash your jewelry with a mild detergent that does not contain phosphate based chemicals when it is only slightly yellowing it will clean it up right away. Dry thoroughly...
• Invest in a good cleaning cloth…rub your jewelry after you take it off to remove any beginning tarnish.  I generally do this before I wear a piece.
• There are many silver polishes and dips available… I can’t recommend one as I don’t use them.  Research them carefully if you choose this method of cleaning.  Always remember to follow the directions if you decide to use commercial cleanser as failure to do so could result in damage to your jewelry!
• Place baking soda in the bottom of a dish, lay your piece on top, they pour boiling water over top…the baking soda will bubble up and help to clean your silver…I’ve done this and it works very well on some pieces and not so good on others…it is definitely worth a try.  NOTE: wash your jewelry with mild detergent, rinse well with water and dry after doing this as the baking soda can etch the silver finish if not completely removed!
•  NOTE:  do not use toothpaste as this is too abrasive for sterling silver or fine silver jewelry, pearls and some gems!

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post…I’m often asked if the pieces I make  will tarnish…as you’ve just read, the answer is simply, YES, all silver will eventually tarnish, even silver plated jewelry, copper and brass…but… it really doesn’t take a great deal of work to keep it sparkling clean.  All it takes is to keep a cleaning cloth with your jewelry and give it a quick rub before you put it on, then again when you take it off, at the very least do one or the other!  Place you silver jewelry in a baggy and you should be fine…

Send an email or leave a comment on my blog if you have any questions or comments…

Cheers

hjcote11@gmail.com

Information Source:

http://www.jivejewelry.com/blog/2007/02/why-does-sterling-silver-jewelry.html

http://www.newsletter.kaijewels.com/silver-tarnish.htm

http://www.jewelrygenius.com/tarnish.html

http://www.gemessentials.com/apps/blog/show/14034765-what-causes-jewelry-to-tarnish-