Technique?

[Sandra]

A few years ago I was on holiday up in Shetland and found jewellery I really loved. A bit later I decided to purchase a piece and discovered unfortunately this jewellery maker had stopped making jewellery. Since I am so new at jewellery making I'm till trying to form my own style and looking at others for inspiration! I found an old picture in my email of the piece I had wanted to buy and now trying to decide what techniques might have been used to make it. It's hard to tell by the picture but the piece had a very un-smooth surface, almost a bit rippled if I remember right. Does this look like it may have been fused?

[Wallace]

almost hard for me to tell (must sort out some new glasses!). Rippled effect could mean it has been reticulated... heated to the point where the silver comes to the surface without balling up. Reticulation needs repeating of melting to bring the silver up pickling and re-melting. Essentially you are bringing most of the silver to the top over a period of time.

Looking at it, I cannot tell if it is fused, someone else might though. I would imagine, it would be difficult, but could be added at that last time. But the added silver looks quite formed and not dipped. So it could have been sweat soldered as an alternative possibility, or paste soldered.

a great bit of info courtesy of Ganoskin on reticulation

[Truffle & Podge]

I would guess at reticulation then piercing then sweat soldering the small wires and shot, i am very probably wrong though lol x

[Dennis]

I agree with Wallace and Tasha, that you are looking at reticulation. That is heating, pickling and rising repeatedly, four or five times, until the surface is covered with fine silver. This part is called depletion gilding. Now when you heat the surface it will begin to shimmer, while the metal underneath actually melts. Remove the torch and on cooling the surface will wrinkle. This is the reticulation.

The holes were probably made first and have become distorted during the process. The thin wires and jump rings either fused on during heating, or were helped by addition of a little solder.

Unfortunately you really have to use silver for this, some sheet about 0.8mm thick and wires about 0.6mm in diameter. However there is no reason why you might not get something you like at the first attempt. To finish it, just brush with a wet and soapy brass brush and burnish the edges with any smooth steel tool. Dennis.

[Sandra]

Thanks all, that's interesting reading about reticulation. I discovered I have a fused pendant project in a jewellery making book (Getting Started Making Metal Jewellery). The picture also looks like it has a textured surface but all they do is heat it once till it melts? They just use sterling silver too. I'd like to practice with a small piece and see what happens....? Though I'm interested to try the reticulation too when I can afford some fine silver.

[lorraineflee]

Reticulation is done with sterling silver so you could have a go!

[caroleallen]

The advice given is good. I've made similar things in the past. I didn't use any solder, just fused it all together and then reticulated. You can't really control the process though so each one will be different.

[Sandra]

Ok I've been experimenting on some scraps of silver. (It was just sterling silver because I didnt want to practice using fine silver) The pieces fused together pretty nicely and quickly. I then tried heating and pickling a few times. It was going well and looking quite interesting until I burned a hole in the middle it ! I am unsure as to how you know when you've heated and pickled enough? Obviously I let it get a bit too hot too soon.. I am finding various articles and videos about it but not sure what to look for to know the reticulation process is complete!

Thanks,
Sandra

[Dennis]

Sandra, you have misread the advice and several people have tried to put you right:

Reticulation is done with Sterling silver. The results are partly accidental and difficult to control.

So getting a hole is all part of the experience.

Each piece will be different and you stop when you like the look of it. Dennis

[Sandra]

I guess I am mixing fusing and reticulation instructions since I am wanting to do both together on the same piece. I had read fusing should be done with fine silver but it seemed to work out just fine with sterling silver. I also did read today reticulation needs to be done with sterling. The reticulation process is the part I'm unsure about but plan on more experiments this weekend.