Tag: silver | Page 3 | A Silver Circle

August 1, 2017

Celebrating the Geometric Collection

As the brand has evolved over time, Corinne has gradually developed the beautiful Geometric collection. This elegant collection is all about using different angles, contrasting open negative space with positive space from within the same piece of jewellery. Recently we added our brand new Geometric Pendent and Earrings to the collection.

In celebration of this new addition, we are going to take you back to the beginning with our A Silver Circle Ring. The A Silver Circle signature ring is a simplistic yet sentimental piece encapsulating the original essence of the brand. The ring creates a very delicate and beautiful illusion of a circle floating on the finger.

The process of making the A Silver Circle Ring is intricate and complex. We will now take you ‘behind the scenes’ with Corinne in our Studio and explain all of the steps we go through to create this signature piece.

Firstly, Corinne will take a piece of silver wire and measure it to the correct length. This will then need to be heated with a torch before it can be easily bent into the desired shape.

In the case of a circle, the wire is placed on a tapered cone-shaped mandrel. A rawhide mallet, made from a coil of leather, is used to even out the shape along the mandrel without denting the wire.

To get the two ends to attach, tension needs to be created in the wire. Once the ends are aligned, a small amount of solder is applied and melted with the torch. This helps the ends to permanently fix together.

To turn it into a ring, another piece of wire which will become the ring band needs to be attached. This wire is filed in a channel which matches up perfectly with the side of the circle so they hug each other securely. Again, solder is used to attach the ends.

Once this is done, the ring is now constructed and can be filed and polished to get that shiny finish.

The signature ring was expanded into a ring collection including the Hexagon, Square, Oval, Triangle, and the 9 ct. Gold Edition of the ring. We are now premiering the Geometric Pendant and Earrings which are quite unique and beautiful in their own way. With the two different shapes hanging independently on opposite angles, their gentle movement can really catch the eye.

To add the essential A Silver Circle Ring or any of the other pieces from the Geometric Collection to your jewellery box, visit our shop page.

October 20, 2016

Tools of the Trade

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The handmade jewellery industry is so diverse because of all the different effects that can be achieved with metals, jewels and wood. A Silver Circle design works with a range of tools in order to create delicate and fine jewellery, that subtly speaks of elegance. Some of the key tools used in the A Silver Circle studio are the saw frame, ring mandrel, rawhide mallet and file.

Jeweller’s Saw Frame

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The saw frame is the first tool you learn how to use, because it is so versatile and can achieve a range of effects. The act of cutting with the saw is called ‘saw piercing’ and it is used to make intricate patterns or to cut lengths of wire and sheet. At A Silver Circle all our circle shapes are handcut, which is unusual, but it gives us greater control and precision over the circle form. For example, to create each of the Textured Studs, we have to cut the circle shapes out of sheet metal with the saw frame.

Ring Mandrel & Rawhide Mallet

Rawhide mallet

The ring mandrel is a steel tapered tool which is used to shape rings or bezels (framework that holds in a stone). The mandrel has various grooved marks which assist with sizing rings, but also which hold rings in place to be shaped by the rawhide mallet. The rawhide mallet is made out of a coil of leather, creating a firm mallet which is soft enough so that it doesn’t dramatically indent the metal but strong enough to move and manipulate it. We use it to form and flatten pieces, to create the perfect circle shape around the mandrel. The Hammered Ring Bands have been shaped around the mandrel with the rawhide before being textured with a steel hammer to get the indents and facets that make this piece unique.

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File

filing

Files are used by metalsmiths for a number of reasons. At A Silver Circle they are used to clean off excess solder, to smooth out the surface of pieces, to even out joins, to prepare metals for the polishing stage and at times to create texture. The finer the grade of file, the smoother the finish of the product. The file is what gives A Silver Circle products finished edges and finely polished surfaces, as showcased by our Hexagon Plain Ring.

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There are a number more tools used in the A Silver Circle Design studio, however these are some of the most frequently used tools for the effects desired by our brand’s collections. The extent of tools points to the scope of effects that can be achieved in the handmade jewellery industry. If you would like to have a go at some of these tools yourself, head over to the Workshops page to come into the studio and make your own piece of jewellery.

July 28, 2016

Miniatures Collection

The Miniatures Collection began with a single chair. Working as a Resident Artist at the Sturt Contemporary Craft Centre in 2011, I would watch the woodwork students building their wooden chairs, and was fascinated by the simplistic style and structure of the furniture, motivating me to appropriate the design into my jewellery collection.

Drawing inspiration from the form of classic school chairs I remember as a child, it was a greater challenge that I expected to construct the Chair Pendant. After tireless refining of the model, I created the Chair Pendant available today.

Since I designed the original pendant I always wanted to create a whole collection of Miniatures, but it was not until January this year that I began to construct a full range of furniture pieces that kept with the style and essence of the chair. I started with an accompanying table, and thus the Table Pendant was born.

Whilst creating I focused on keeping detail and interest in the design, despite the large flat surfaces that are necessary for many of the pieces. I chose slim, geometric legs for the furniture to provide subtle intricacy to pieces.

Within the collection I created the Ladder Pendant and Window Pendant. They are eye-catching due to their recognisable shape, yet lie close to the body making them a great everyday feature piece and a great talking point. I always get comments when i wear my Ladder Pendant as it is my new favourite.

Today the Miniatures Collection includes a stool, bookshelf, bench and step ladder. Their unique style aligns with the adventurous yet classic image of the brand and provides a touch of elegance and charm to any jewellery collection.