How to Do Embossing on Sterling Silver Jewelry

Create various designs embossed on sterling silver jewelry.

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Sterling silver is combination of 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent copper. Both pure silver and copper are soft metals, so sterling silver is also malleable and suitable for embossing. You can emboss items such as sterling silver pendants, dangle earrings or any items that are made of silver sheets. Start with easy projects such as basic geometrical shapes and move on to more complex embossing projects as you gain experience.

Related Searches:Difficulty:ModerateInstructions Things You'll NeedTracing paperStylus, pencil or knitting needleFeltTapeMetal stampsBench blockHammerSuggest Edits1

Sketch your design on a piece of paper and if needed, scale it down to fit the size of your jewelry.

2

Copy the design on a piece of tracing paper.

3

Place the jewelry on a soft surface such as a piece of felt or foam. Tape the jewelry onto the felt.

4

Tape the tracing paper to the back of the jewelry piece and use your stylus to trace the design on your silver jewelry. If you don't have a stylus, use a sharpened pencil or a metal knitting needle (size 0 or 1).

5

Remove the tracing paper and reinforce the design and create a deeper outline.

6

Turn the jewelry piece on its back and emboss the spaces between the lines you traced. Use a rounded object, such as the back of a paintbrush or a pen, and perform circular movements until you create the desired effect. The amount of pressure you need to apply depends on the thickness or gauge of the material. If you are working on a 30-gauge sheet, you don't need to apply a lot of pressure. If the silver jewelry is slightly thicker, you will have to apply more pressure.

7

Create embossed effects using metal stamps representing small designs. Place the jewelery item on a hard surface such as a bench block. Work on the back of the pendant or earring. Adjust the stamp and hit the back of the stamp once or twice. Use a 16-ounce or heavier hammer. Emboss the spaces between the outlines created by the stamp using the technique described in Step 6. The embossed design will be visible when you turn the jewelry piece on the other side.

Tips & Warnings

Before you emboss your silver jewelry, work on cheaper materials such as a piece of tin foil or a copper sheet to experiment and get used to the technique.

Select sterling silver items that are made of sheets. The ideal thickness of silver sheets for embossing is between 30 gauge and 20 gauge. Lower gauge silver is thicker and more difficult to emboss.

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How to Clean Silver Jewelry That Has Turned Brown

Engraved or etched jewelry requires detailed polishing or submerging.

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You open your jewelry box and instead of seeing your favorite silver necklace, you find a browned chain. Tarnish occurs when silver is exposed to hydrogen compounds which are found naturally in the air and other materials such as latex, wool and rubber bands. Corrosive salts, oils on your skin and in certain foods, also create tarnish. While tarnished silver appears initially gray or dull, an accumulation of tarnish turns silver yellowish-brown and eventually, brown or even black. Removing tarnish from your silver jewelry isn't difficult, but does require specific steps to ensure complete and thorough restoration of your sparkling silver.

Related Searches:Difficulty:Moderately EasyInstructions Things You'll NeedCotton swabsNitrate glovesClean spongeCotton ballsMicrofiber towelSuggest Edits1

Put on your nitrate gloves. Unlike latex or rubber, handling silver with nitrate gloves won't add additional tarnish.

2

Rinse your silver jewelry under cool running water to remove any surface contaminants, such as dust, grit, hairspray. Removing these substances beforehand lets the polish focus on dissolving the tarnish instead of the surface contaminants.

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Dry your silver jewelry with a clean microfiber cloth. Unlike terrycloth, rags or paper towels, microfiber won't scratch or irritate the surface of your jewelry.

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Pour a dime-sized amount of silver polish on your clean, dry sponge and rub an inch of the jewelry using back and forth motions. For every 15 seconds of polishing, stop, rinse and wring the sponge. Apply new polish and repeat until no tarnish remains in the 1-inch section. Washing and rinsing your sponge prevents you from rubbing tarnish-causing substances back into the jewelry as you polish. Repeat Step 4 over the entire piece of jewelry.

5

Flatten the head of a cotton swab by squeezing the cotton between your fingers. Apply a few drops of polish and clean the etched or engraved areas using the same back and forth motions. Replace the cotton swab every 15 seconds as in Step 4.

6

Remove any remaining polish from your jewelry by wiping down the entire piece using a warm, damp cotton ball. Pat the jewelry dry with a clean area of the microfiber towel.

Tips & Warnings

Prevent future tarnish buildup after polishing by storing your silver jewelry in a leather pouch or zip-seal plastic bag.

It takes perseverance to remove brown tarnish, don't be discouraged if you need 45 minutes and an entire bag of cotton swabs.

Never soak or submerge your silver in any substance unless you're a professional jeweler.

Never use household items in place of a professional polish. Common cleaners like baking soda, dish soap and toothpaste are too abrasive for silver jewelry.

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Related SearchesReferencesKai Jewels: Silver Tarnish and Removing Tarnish from Silver JewelrySociety of American Silversmiths: Silver CarePhoto Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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