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| July/August 2005 |
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Silver: Additional resources on designing and selling - from select articles in Lapidary Journal A Silver Primer Silver is one of the three most popular jewelry metals, the others being gold and platinum. Among amateurs who enjoy making jewelry, silver isn't just among the top three, it's the metal of choice. Silversmiths have developed many ways of working this precious metal, from the ancient hand techniques of forging and raising to the high-tech process of electroforming. Contemporary silversmiths seem to favor channelwork, etching, engraving, filigree, scrollwork, casting, appliqué, and stone mounting. Silver is also a frequent component in the multi-metal techniques of married metals and mokume gane. Just what is silver and why is it so versatile? [more] Silver Shows Off At some time or another, virtually every jewelry artist works in silver. It’s not just that silver is beautiful — although its color and luster have enchanted people since the earliest stirrings of civilization. It’s not simply that silver is versatile — although silver does permit a variety of patination and finishing techniques that offer artists an array of looks to choose from. And it’s not even just that silver is easy to work — although silver is highly malleable and can be formed into virtually any shape the mind can conceive. What sends most artists to silver in the first place is a more practical matter — its affordability. [more] Selling Silver Hampered by public perception that silver is a poor substitute for pricier metals, artists who work in silver because they love the material are faced with a distinct set of challenges. When it comes to the family of precious metals, silver is the poor cousin. While gold commands prices of more than $300 an ounce, and platinum tops $500 an ounce, silver is lucky if its price rises above $5 an ounce. That lower investment value means that jewelry artists wooed by silver’s gentle radiance are often faced with a harsh business reality: in many customers’ minds, a silver piece of jewelry just isn’t worth as much as a gold or platinum one. Who wants to hear, over and over again, “Why does that cost so much? It’s only silver.” [more] Mineral Notes: Silver While 56 or 57 times cheaper than gold on the commodities market, silver is likely 57 or 56 times less common in mineral collectors’ showcases. The reasons may be several, but two are outstanding. First and most important is the susceptibility of silver and several silver-containing species to darken by surface exposure to sulfur or light. Silver’s behavior, in a crystal or a spoon, limits its popularity among collectors and dinner-party throwers alike. Second, in the last century, there haven’t been many good crystals of silver species found. [more] |
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