Malachite

Malachite, the vivid bluish green to green opaque gem stone has distinctive markings. They are usually curved, light and dark stripes and can have circular markings do to its botryoidal crystal, (resembling bunches of grapes), habit. Malachite  is a relatively soft stone, only a 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale so therefore, it can scratch easily and has a "poor" toughness. So be careful if you have it set in a ring.

Typically, malachite is made into beads and cabachons for setting in to pendants. Malachite is also quite popular in  inlays and carvings.

It is often found around deposits of copper as this is the mineral which causes the beautiful color. It is mined in Zaire, Australia, England, France, Namibia, Romania, South Africa, US, USSR and Zimbabwe.

Most commercial malachite is enhanced with impregnation with paraffin or epoxy resins with can improve the polish and hide small cracks. So care must be taken when exposing enhanced specimens to heat.

The best way to clean your malachite jewelry is is warm soapy water. Never use a steamer or an ultrasonic cleaner.

I was able to obtain some large size cabochons which I have fashioned in to pendants. I was told that they were mined in Arizona, USA and were cut by hand.

The markings these pieces are stunning. I have used sterling silver and gold fill wire to make the pendants. I have made a large bails so that they  can fit on most bead strands or leather cords.

http://pzmdesigns.com/

German Silver an Affordable Jewelry Alternative

When the price of silver went through the roof, several years ago, many of us, metal smiths, began using German silver, or nickel silver as a more affordable substitute for sterling silver.

German silver (or nickel silver)  has many wonderful qualities but it actually contains NO silver at all. It is actually an alloy made, primarily of  60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver has existed for over 2000 years in China where it was first known and used. 

The Germans began producing this metal from 1750 on, hence the name. In the 19th century, the American Plains Indians began to acquire nickel silver and began using it in belt buckles, earrings, pendants, and other jewelry. Nickel silver can be hammered, folded, soldered and formed just like silver.

I love making cuffs and bangle. Here are some examples of hammered cuffs, bangles and earrings that I made.

Tall nickel silver cuff

Hammered Bangle Set of 7

Long nickel silver dangle earrings

Wide nickel silver thumb ring


German silver is also very hard and can take a high polish. This metal is a little more difficult to work with than copper or brass so it needs to be annealed more frequently to soften it up.

In the Middle East, some of the most beautiful Bedouin jewelry are made using nickel silver, and even some furniture was made from this beautiful and versatile  Here are a couple of examples.

Today, besides being used in jewelry, many musical instruments including french horns, trumpets and flutes are made from 100% nickel silver.

I do love working in sterling silver and gold but more of my customers can wear and enjoy my designs when they are made from German silver.

The Making of a Tattoo Cover

I recently made a tattoo cover for one of my customers. She wanted a cuff to fit on her upper arm to cover the tattoo in a cool way. She needed it to be over 1 inch wide and it needed to stay in place.

After many trials and errors I was able to create just what she wanted. I did several test runs on myself to see if it actually stayed in place. And when I was satisfied, I created this one for her. It is done in bronze which is a beautiful copper alloy and can work easily with any metal color that you already have.

Here is how I did it, in a pictoral.

This is what sheet bronze looks like. I am about to measure it.

I have now measured it and will take it to my huge bench shear.

These are pictures of the bench shear with the sheet ready to be cut,

This is after cutting the bronze sheet.

At the workbench, now and the cuff has gone through the first pass on the bracelet mandrel.

Now the cuff is ready to go on some forming mandrels, from Bonney Doone, to create an anticlastic edge to the cuff, so that it doesn't dig in to the skin. I will be using the special hammer seen next to the cuff to form and  work harden the cuff without marring the bronze.

I now have the cuff on a large bench block where I will hammer the edges to work harden them further and to thicken the walls.

And here is the finished product after filing and polishing. A beautiful tattoo cover for my customer.

You can check it out on
pzmdesigns.com

Copper for Jewelry and Health

Copper is one of the metals that I use in making my jewelry. It is my favorite metal for a few reasons. First, copper is very easy to form in to nearly any shape that I want. Second. I love the color of copper because it is flattering to all complexions and third, copper has health and antimicrobial properties. Also, copper is used as an alloy in the other non noble metals that I work with, like Brass, nickel silver and bronze.

Here is an example of some copper armbands.

http://pzmdesigns.com/collections/upper-arm-cuff-bracelets/products/double-spiral-armlet-copper-upper-arm-cuff-ethnic-tribal-upper-arm-bracelet

Did you know that copper is an essential trace mineral? People need copper in their diets because it is crucial for forming red blood cells. You don't have to eat your jewelry though.....most people get enough copper from including grains, beans, potatoes and leafy greens.

Some people think that tarnish is dirty. In fact, it is just the opposite. Copper has antimicrobial properties......it will kill bacteria, viruses and yeasts on contact, according to a 2011 paper in the journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology. So NOW, copper is woven into fabrics to make antimicrobial garments like socks that fight foot fungus. Copper kills microbes by interfering with the electrical charge of their cell membranes.

So what is patina (tarnish)???? Copper turns green because of its exposure to oxygen and moisture. The result is copper oxide and it is a dull green. This tarnish protects the copper under it from further corrosion. This is the reason that the copper plated Statue of Liberty is green rather than orange red.

Copper was one of the first metals to be formed into jewelry. That is why the women that love the boho, organic tribal vibe will love to wear copper jewelry. And now that you know what patina is maybe you will start to love it. I love wearing stacks and stacks of hammered copper bangles mixed with other metals containing copper. Here is a really cool copper cuff that is light weight and comfortable.

http://pzmdesigns.com/collections/wrist-cuffs-and-bangles/products/hammered-copper-cuff-hand-forged-copper-armband-modern-tribal-cuff-bracelet