How does Sterling Silver jewellery come about? And what determines the price?
The two main methods are handmade and manufactured, though they can both be used in concert. Handmade: Artisans go to a silver factory where they can obtain and in some countries, even watch their silver being made into the shapes they need. The silver is weighed into the correct quantities with copper: 925 parts to 75 parts. Then the metal is scorched in a cauldron, then rolled out into sheets and finally cut to order. At their workshop they use tools such as: a specially designed work table, heat (often foot pedal pumped), solder (to meld two edges together), pliers, saws, clamps etc to create (hopefully!) a work of art. It can take many years (and I imagine a fair amount of burns!) to become accomplished. Depending on your skill level each piece can take a considerable amount of time. So time is the main factor in determining price -once you have all your myriad tools. Manufactured: This is often done using what is referred to as a casting tree. Designers manufacture a template from
