Fine Silver Jewelry Soldering and Fusing Project Collection

Description

Fine silver is typically used as bezel wire for setting gemstone cabochons, but its unique properties allow it to be fused to itself. This makes fine silver the ideal material for making rings, chain, and other circular-shaped projects. It also has the advantage of taking less time to polish and finish a piece because there is no firescale. These projects mix fusing and soldering silver jewelry techniques, so you’ll get to employ both techniques.

Metalsmiths Bill Fretz, Kate Richbourg, Jeanette Ryan, Howard Siegel, and Layne Freedline offer stylish projects with clean lines and geometric inspiration in these fine silver fusing and soldering jewelry projects. Ranging from beginner to expert, each of these pieces of jewelry will inspire you to spend time at your workbench.

Kate Richbourg compares the fusing process to soldering, “Fusing is a little different. No solder is needed to fuse these two metals to themselves. The torch is used to quickly melt the metal, and it fuses as it cools. Since the metals are pure and contain no copper (the culprit of firescale), there is no discoloration, and the metal is as shiny as it was before it was heated with the torch. No pesky pickling is required.”

Fusing is also different from soldering because, in fusing, you touch two pieces of silver together and bring the metal to the melting point. The metal flows together and combines to create a solid piece. In soldering, the solder flows to fill the join.

You can save time in other ways when creating with fine silver components, too. Denise Peck suggests, “When soldering or fusing multiple pieces on a block at one time, keep the joints or seams all facing the same direction so you have an easy point of reference for where to aim the heat.”

With these inspiring jewelry making projects, you’ll learn to make designs you can adapt to your own style. Create the designs, then use the same techniques to fuse and solder your own silver jewelry designs. Add fine silver fusing and soldering to your jewelry making toolbox with these elegant designs.