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View Full Version : What thickness (mm) silver is best for bracelets



SuseA
30-08-2011, 01:51 PM
Hello all,

After several months of (job) uncertainty (loads of us were put 'at risk') and the need to tighten the pursestrings, just in case, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and turn my thoughts to more enjoyable things.

I've been filling my time by making small pieces with silver wire and playing with beads and glass, but now I want, and can afford to, turn back to 'real' silver work and I have in mind two ideas - 1) a pierced cuff bracelet and 2) an articulated oblong, square, round (or mix of) linked bracelet.

What thickness is best for both or either. I don't want the cuff to be too heavy and I assume that it has to be a quite thin for piercing work. As to the articulated bracelet, I'm thinking of either hammer texturing (perhaps adding copper embellishments), or reticulating the links and fusing silver wire onto them- then joining the links with jump rings, with a toggle clasp fastener to finish.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Suse

caroleallen
30-08-2011, 05:17 PM
I'd say don't go too thin on the cuff as it will go out of shape too quickly. It really depends on how much you plan to pierce it. If it's just a bit of piercing, you may get away with 1mm.

SuseA
30-08-2011, 06:15 PM
Thanks Caroleallen - so would you say that 1.5 - 2mm is perhaps a happy medium. I want to create an all over piercing design - not quite sure what as yet, but I'll play around on paper first. Also - in your experience, what makes a good thickness for bracelets or bangles in general, just out of interest.

caroleallen
30-08-2011, 10:04 PM
I always go as thin as I can get away with, because of the cost of silver. If it was an unpierced or anticlastic cuff, I'd use 1mm. I think for a pierced piece, you'd get away with 1.5. Remember though that you'll need a deep throated piercing saw - sorry if that's stating the obvious!

SuseA
31-08-2011, 07:22 AM
Again - thanks, and no, you're not stating the obvious to me.... I'm still a newbie in comparison to many others and I still have much to learn. What size saw blade (or brand - if you're allowed to say) would you suggest. It won't be an overly intricate design (I'm not that good), but I do want to try something - also, it'll not be too wide a cuff (trying to keep the cost reasonable)

I have lots of ideas of things I'd like to make, but seeing as I do this very much as a hobby or for gifts (so no income from it) I have to be patient and save my pennies until I have enough to buy the silver.

I'm considering making some silver wirework bits and pieces and maybe selling a few to friends around the Christmas period, so I can fund my silversmithing hobby :)

Goldsmith
31-08-2011, 08:04 AM
I use Glardon Vallorbe jeweller's saw blades and I like them. For piercing 1mm. thick silver I would use a 2.0 or 3.0 size blades for general shape cutting and for fine detail I would use 4.0 size blades. As Carole said, when piercing a cuff size blank, you will find a deeper throat saw frame useful, perhaps a 5 inch deep frame. If you are building up a new tool kit, take a look at the Knew Concept saw frames.
James

SuseA
31-08-2011, 08:43 AM
Ahh, yes - the 'deep throat' referred to the saw frame depth. I read Carole's response too quickly. Thanks for the advice on the saw blades sizes though, I must invest in some good (various sized) ones and will put these on my shopping list. I'll also look at a deeper saw frame and the Knew Concept one. Perhaps the cuff idea will have to wait a little while longer and I'll work on my 2nd idea of an articulated linked bracelet. I have a small piece of leftover 1mm silver sheet and so can buy a bit more in to make up enough links for a bracelet. I've also quite a lot of scrap silver pieces and might melt a few to add as embellishments and see if that'll create a more interesting texture, than simply hammering.

Patstone
31-08-2011, 06:12 PM
Hi, I have just finished doing a bracelet with hammered oblongs about 1cm x .60cm links, held together with jumprings, they were cut from 1mm thick sheet (I ordered .60 wide by 24cms long so I was able to have a couple of links spare), and I used 1.20mm wire which I soldered for strength. I left one link not soldered and put on a lobster clasp with a bigger 1.50mm jumpring for the clasp to clip into. Hope this helps. Pat

SuseA
31-08-2011, 06:25 PM
Hey Pat - yes, it does help - thanks. Your explanation of your bracelet sounds interesting - are you pleased with the result? I'm thinking of making one of those senorita style clasps - the ones with a large ring and bar. I'm glad the 1mm silver sheet I have left over from some earrings I made earlier on in the year will work - so I only need to order a little more so I have enough to make the bracelet. I want it to be textured in some way - have done a fair bit of hammered texturing in my time, but I want to do something different, so was thinking of adding some bits of copper wire, or silver wire and (maybe) reticulating the links beforehand. I'm not sure about reticulating - because you can easily mess up with that, but then I'd end up with a more organic shape that way - so who knows!

Patstone
31-08-2011, 06:34 PM
The only thing its a bit heavy, but apart from that I am very pleased with it, but because of the weight and my intention is to sell it if I can, it will have to be hallmarked. It started out as a watch bracelet but then the customer said she couldnt afford it, so I joined the bits together and made a proper bracelet from it.

SuseA
01-09-2011, 06:35 AM
Well I may as well add to the 1mm silver sheet I already have and see how that works out for me. I'll post a pic (if I can) when I've completed it, as I think it helps to get feedback when learning.

When I have posted enough then i'll put up some pics of what i've done so far - if anyone is interested.

Thanks to all for the advice given thus far :)