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If you’re struggling to find a unique and memorable gift for your dad this Father’s Day, we have a few ideas up our sleeve. Your dad probably has enough tools in his shed, so why not bring him to our Ring Making Workshop in Spring instead. It may just be the gift you and your dad have been looking for. If you prefer to browse our collection we have a range of cufflinks and rings that will be sure to catch your dads eye.

In this workshop you will create a Ring, which will leave you with not only a sentimental gift but an unforgettable experience as you create your own product.

If you prefer choosing a ready-made piece from our collection, The Thick Hammered Ring Band is simple yet eye catching while the Roller Ring is a unique and fun unisex item.

We have a range of Cufflinks that are perfect for stylish fathers who love texture and colour. The Domed Patterned Cufflinks feature a printed texture that compliment clean cut fabrics and shirts.
Our Resin Cufflinks come in an array of bright and bold hues. From blue to red these are unique pieces your dad will adore.

This month we will take you through the process of creating our Thick Hammered Ring Band, as this will be a taster of what you can experience at our Ring Making Workshop.

The first step is to measure out the size of your ring and then cut the length.

After this, you need to soften the metal through a process called annealing. This involves heating the metal until it’s a dark red colour. Then quench the metal in water and dry.

Then the piece needs to be formed to get the two ends to line up. Here we are using parallel pliers to hold the metal as we move it with our hands. Tension is created by overlapping and pulling back to get the two ends to sit together.

Now it’s time to solder! Here we use flux and a small piece of solder on the join. We then heat the metal until the solder melts and fills in the gap.

The ring is now placed in an acid bath called a pickle (we know, funny name right) to remove all of the flux and oxide from the metal. Once this is done it is rinsed and dried.

Next it’s time to shape the ring. Place it over the mandrel and use a raw hide mallet to move the metal into shape. Once this is done evenly you will file and emery the excess solder off to complete the ring.

For the Hammered Ring Band, the texturing is done after the ring is shaped in order to get a seamless texture.

Polish time! Using a polishing compound with a small polishing wheel, we have brought up the shine to complete this piece.

We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek and Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there !

This Mother’s Day, we are celebrating the eternal and selfless love shared by a Mum, Grandmother, or Mother figure, and their child. The circle is a symbol that encompasses this perfectly. The ancient Egyptians would use rope loop to symbolise the eternal, a concept that is synonymous with love. The circle is also a symbol of life in many cultures and represents the constant cycle of life flowing through the earth.

Just as a circle has no beginning and no end, our mothers brought us into the world and shaped us into the people we are today. Mother’s Day is a chance for us to complete that circle, by giving back to the women in our lives who have given so much. Here is A Silver Circle gift guide that perfectly represent our love and appreciation of these women. All of these pieces utilise the circle form in unique ways that are reminiscent of the relationship between mother and child, a cycle of nurturing, giving and love.

Textured Rings

Being one of our most popular styles, you can’t go wrong with the Textured Rings. They are dainty and minimalistic and will suit any Mum’s style. With Small, Medium, and Large designs available there is an endless number of ways they can be worn, we love styling them stacked with other rings from our collections. There is a ring size cart available on each product page to make sure you get the best fit!

Domed Patterned Pendant

The Domed Patterned Pendant is a delicate piece that shines beautifully in the light. It is apart of The Domed Patterned Collection, where each piece is imprinted with a unique pattern. There are four different patterns to choose from, lace, matte, mesh and threads. This means you are able to customise each piece to suit your Mum’s style. Our favourite pick for Mum is the lace pattern, timeless and elegant.

Domed Patterned Earrings

The Domed Patterned Earring are the perfect accompaniment to the Domed Patterned Pendant. The dome shape hangs elegantly from the ear in a drop-style, available in both Medium and Long to complement the shape of the face.

A Silver Circle Gift Voucher

If you’re not sure what style of jewellery your Mum likes (or you just can’t decide on one piece!) A Silver Circle gift voucher is the perfect option. Vouchers are valued at $25, $50 and $100 so they can be combined to suit any budget and can be personalised with a heartfelt note too!

Geometric Earrings

The Geometric Earrings are great for a Mum whose style is more contemporary and modern. The juxtaposition of shapes, combined with the hanging structure makes for a statement piece that can easily be dressed up or down. Square and hexagonal designs are also available.

Circle Ring with Domes

The Circle Ring with Domes is complex yet delicate. It perfectly embodies the A Silver Circle brand and plays with the circle form in way which is experimental and sophisticated. Mum will be blow away by the uniqueness of this piece! Each ring is made to order so the design and arrangement of circles will be different in each piece.

Navajo Circle Pendant

The Navajo collection is inspired by the art and jewellery of the Native American Navajo tribe. The Circle Pendant conjures images of a single teepee, with the sun setting in the background over a body of water, to create a elegant circle surround. This is a unique statement piece that moves with the wearer to catch the light.

A Silver Circle Workshop

If your Mum is a hands-on kind of girl, or you are looking for an experience to share together, why not book a jewellery making workshop taught by A Silver Circle’s jeweller and designer Corinne. The next class will be an earrings workshop held on May 19th, less than a week after mother’s day! Here you will learn to heat metal, saw pierce, hammer and polish, which will result in a one-of-a-kind pair of earrings that is personal to you. The class caters to all skill levels and would be an experience you and your Mum will never forget. All bookings can be done through our WORKSHOPS page.

Markets

If shopping online isn’t for you, why not come say hi and browse our beautiful collection at A Silver Circle market stall. We will be at the Canberra Handmade Markets and the Rocks Markets over the next few weeks (dates below), perfect timing for Mother’s Day. You can even make a day of it and bring your Mum along to spoil her with some gorgeous jewellery!

Canberra Handmade Markets:
Saturday May 5th
Sunday May 6th

The Rocks Markets:
Sunday April 21st
Sunday April 29th

In the spirit of going full circle, the name of our brand originated from one alluring thought…a circle is singular but infinite. During the design process it became evident that, although the circle is one singular shape, there is an infinite number of ways in which it can be used. As you have seen through our Mother’s Day gift guide, this idea has manifested into some truly stunning jewellery that the special women in your life will cherish.

Make Mother’s Day her favourite day of the year with A Silver Circle Design! Few of us know the origins of this holiday, but the concept began in ancient Greece and Rome with festivals for mother goddesses. The holiday then became associated with the Catholic Church and the dedication to Mother Mary. Although the holiday is now commercialised, it’s an important reminder to appreciate and thank our mothers.

Whether your mum loves Elegant, Earthy, Funky or Quirky designs we’ve got her covered!

For the Elegant Mother who loves sleek lines and simple structures we recommend choosing a classic piece from our Domed or Textured Collections.

The Domed Patterned Earrings Medium ($90) are a great way to express simple elegance. The discs feature roller imprinted patterns, which catch the light bringing depth to the patterns and reflect a lustrous shine.

The Textured Small Pendant ($70) is another good option which uses a simple circle form to enhance the unique pattern created through the processes of reticulation. This process melts the top surface of the silver to create interesting bumps and lines that vary in severity and pattern every time. This piece is excellent for everyday wear.

We recommend clean lines and warm tones for the Earthy Mum. Something from the Branch or Gold Reversible Collections would be perfect for a free-spirited mum who loves expressing herself with elegant natural pieces.

The Branch Earrings ($140) combine simplicity, warmth and texture. These earrings feature beautiful Red Gum branches that have a slight red colour over the dark brown base. These earrings are perfect for a mum that loves nature.

The Large Round Reversible Pendant ($100) represents unified balance through its circular shape and is made from a bonded metal which is one side Sterling Silver and one side 18ct Yellow Gold. The mix of these metals mean that the pendant is reversible and able to have gold one day, silver the next depending on your outfit.

For the Funky Mum, we recommend vibrant colourful pieces. Help her add a pop of colour to her outfits with something from our Resin Collection or the Stone Bar Necklace.

The Resin Round Drop Earrings ($70) are perfect for adding some colour to any outfit. Made of solid sterling silver, these earrings feature a domed circular shape filled with a clear resin set with crumpled metal leaf giving a beautiful depth and shine to the piece. The earrings use Copper, Silver or Gold leaf in clear resin or covered with a vibrant translucent colour.

The Stone Bar Necklace is effortless elegance ($45). With a simple design and ultrafine closed cable chain, this necklace can be easily integrated into any jewellery collection or look. There are six options available, which can be worn together or own their own. Choose mum’s favourite colour from Amazonite, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Pearl, Red Carnelian.

For the Quirky Mum, we recommend checking out our Miniatures and Figurine Collection for the perfect piece to suit her style. Both collections play with scale, which creates an elegant but interesting look.

The Chair Pendant ($300), which is made of solid sterling silver, is both a piece of sculpture and jewellery. The simple elements and clean lines make it a timeless piece. Designed to hang from the top left corner, this piece sits flat against the body, but on a slight angle.

The Oval Earrings with Figure ($165) are a playful addition to any outfit for a guaranteed talking piece. Made of solid sterling silver, these earrings feature small figurines within a larger oval shape.

These are just a few suggestions but feel free to browse the site for some other great gift options for your mum. No matter what kind of mum you have, we hope that she has an amazing Mother’s Day!

We all know that it can sometimes be hard to keep your jewellery in top condition. We’ve decided to help by providing you with some options to clean your pieces. We recommend several methods to preserve the finish of your jewellery – a silver cloth, silver dip, avoiding heat and properly storing items.

Silver Cloth is a fabric used to prevent tarnish on sterling silver items. Tarnish usually occurs when compounds in the atmosphere chemically react with the silver while jewellery items are in storage. The cloth is imprinted with jeweller’s rouge – a fine polishing compound – and is safe to use on all items. You can even use a silver cloth to polish chains. The best way to use a silver cloth is to gently rub the piece of jewellery on the cloth using circular motions until the tarnish comes off. Don’t worry if your silver cloth starts to discolour – it will continue to work until it is torn apart from wear. Make sure you don’t wash them though as this can cause the cleaning compound to be washed off the fabric!

Some places to find a silver cloth would be a jewellery store like Prouds, or less effective versions may be found at supermarkets like Woolworths.

Silver Dip Some silver items are more difficult to clean and polish with a silver cloth because of their unique shapes or sizes. For those items, and chains, it’s easiest to use silver dip. This process takes less than five minutes but is sure to make a huge different to the finish of your jewellery. To clean your items, you start by dipping or swabbing them with silver dip, rinse with soapy water and then dry with a soft cloth to regain the shine. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after use. To get an even better shine, use your silver cloth immediately after using silver dip.

Some places to find a silver cloth would be a jewellery supplier or store like Prouds.

Avoiding Heat is most important for your resin pieces, like our Resin Pendants and Studs. Sunlight/heat over 40oC can cause the resin to expand and warp so make sure to keep the resin away from the heat to avoid damage.

Storage While it’s fine to store items that are regularly used in open containers for ease, it’s best to store special occasion items that aren’t worn often in closed containers. When you touch your jewellery the oil in your skin transfers to the items and can cause them to tarnish by reacting with the copper in sterling silver. Keep your items in a fabric-lined jewellery case to avoid tarnish from unnecessary touching of pieces and prevent scratches.

These methods can take a matter of minutes but will make a huge difference to the look of your items. We hope that you find some success in restoring the shine and colour of your pieces!