You’re welcome Kalen.
A good customer of PepperBox is getting married and her ring is all done. Now something just right must be done for her man!! This worked out perfect great because the groom to be is literally family and was completely open to ideas for unique wedding band. Her is what PepperBox was happy to do for Kalen.
Kalen had seen an 18k gold mens ring PepperBox did and decided that he wanted something with a similar feel but in Silver and with a unique pattern.
The ring starts out as a piece of silver sheet that is first textured and then a pattern is roughly laid out on the ring. The pattern will consist of alternating bars and domes.
Here, pieces of sterling silver have been cut into uniform pieces. These pieces will form the domes of the pattern.
They are heated with a torch until they melt into small spheres.
Little domes. Domies.
Next the domes are laid out according to the pattern and fused with the silver sheet. This process can be tricky because no solder is used and there is the possibility of over heating the silver and melting the larger sheet that makes up the ring.
Not to worry though, this ain’t my first rodeo, more like the third 
. Here the domes are fused to the silver sheet.
Now silver has to be draw down into square wire that will make up the bars of the design.
Just as the domes were laid out, so the bars are cut and placed in preparation to be fused to the main piece.
This is how the piece looks right after it has been fused together. Sterling silver oxidizes in open air so a good deal of flux must be used to allow the metals to fuse well. As the flux cools it takes on a colorful glassy state that looks like enamel.
The piece is soaked in an acid bath that removes the glassy flux along with any oxides. This acid bath is called “pickle” in the jewelry world and it leaves the metal all clean and fluffy.
Once the pattern is complete, the flat piece is formed into a circle around a steel stake. The piece is hammered with plastic coated mallet that does not mar up the silver.
Now that the ring is formed, a silver sleeve is fabricated and then inserted. This is done to create a smooth inside for the final ring.
Here the sleeve is soldered into place.
Once the excess silver is removed the ring is brushed and polished. The unique texture of the ring is a result of all the previous steps and this finishing process helps that complex surface to really stand out.
Shazaam!
The white surface on the ring is the result of a process called depletion. This depletion is caused by the repeated heating and pickling of the silver.
Kalen and Sommer’s rings together.
The rings are hand engraved with a message that is personal to the sooooon to be married couple.
You’re welcome Kalen. I’ll see you guys soon.
Tags: Custom design, fabrication, metalsmithing, ring, silver
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