Irregular Shaped bronze earstuds

[art925]

Good afternoon everyone.

A lady has just been in the shop and asked if I could make irregular shaped earstuds in bronze to match a necklace she has that is bronze and Lapis. I have never worked with bronze, so I first thought of delft casting in bronze itself, then solder on a silver earstud, if that's possible. I then thought of the bronze clay but I have no kiln, and I know people have had poor results with open firing, now I'm thinking to reticulate silver then bronze plating. I do a lot of very dramatic reticulation with silver so that would be no problem, but is bronze plating onto silver viable?

What would people suggest...

many thanks
Les

[medusa]

I'm not sure I'd like bronze studs in my ears. Green skin is not a good look, though the combo of bronze and lapis sounds lovely!

[art925]

It looked indeed a fantastic piece, and not a green neck in sight. I can only assume that the bronze had been waxed, or varnished to protect both metal and neck. I will just have to google some more.

[mizgeorge]

Could you cast some bronze blobs to set the stones in and then attach (solder or epoxy) them to silver (or better still, gold) pad and posts for the ear findings? I'm not sure I'd want to wear bronze in the ear, but a layer of precious metal between it and the skin would be OK.

[art925]

Could you cast some bronze blobs to set the stones in and then attach (solder or epoxy) them to silver (or better still, gold) pad and posts for the ear findings? I'm not sure I'd want to wear bronze in the ear, but a layer of precious metal between it and the skin would be OK.

Thats why I asked, I would not consider bronze ear posts, coated or not, but I was concerned how to connect a precious metal to the bronze. Will I be able to to get the bronze and precious metal to solder. Thanks George, I could make a gold backing plate the shape of each stud, solder a gold earpost to it then try to solder or epoxy the backing plate to the bronze...sorted.

[mizgeorge]

I've soldered bronze to silver with no problems if that's any help Les

[art925]

That is what I needed to know, thanks George