It has been such a fun year making jewelry. The response to my Patriotic jewelry has been so positive and encouraging. The current events with our country have been stressful, sad, and can often be too much to handle on a daily basis. Making jewelry has been a welcome escape and creating powerful patriotic statements was very important to me. I truly enjoying making each piece, and carefully ensure each pendant is near perfect before it's sent out. I wanted to share my process for how each patriotic piece is made.
I've recently updated my metal to argentium silver for my patriotic pendants 1776, Patriot and Freedom. I chose argentium over sterling silver for a couple reasons. For one, I like the fact it's highly resistant to tarnish. Although sterling silver is gorgeous, it's famously known to tarnish when exposed to humidity and air over time. Argentium silver offers a higher silver content, and since it has a tiny amount of germanium, it gives a more lustrous silver color and brighter shine. I loved the fact it's more resistant to tarnish, making the maintenance so easy. My sterling silver chains come with an anti-tarnish coat which preserve the shine even longer. The argentium silver used is sourced from the USA, and I am so happy to have so many of my supplies coming from USA companies.
For each pendant I start with a raw silver blank. I use steel hand stamps and hammer the design or letters into the pendant. My Patriot, Freedom and 1776 are steel stamps that were designed by me and specially made for my jewelry. They are unique and you won't see anywhere else. Hand stamping is a much more "imperfect" process vs engraving. I will measure the space and line up the designs, so no two pendants will look the same. Since I am using my force to stamp the metal, there is a slight impression that will show on the backside of pendant due to displaced metal. In the polishing process, I will work on smoothing out the backside as much as possible.
Once I have stamped the designs or letters on the metal, it's time to polish. This is actually my favorite process, I find it relaxing for some reason! The silver blanks in raw form are very shiny and have a mirror finish. In playing with final polish techniques, I decided I liked the satin brushed look. It brings out the lettering more, has a beautiful silver glow, and you don't have to worry about constant fingerprints on the metal. I use a couple different polish blocks and grits to really sand any rough edges , and then go over the front and back of the disc. I then break out my dremel, and use a softer satin buff wheel on both sides of the pendant to soften the brushed matte look.
I will make each piece made to order, and I have a quick turnaround time of about 2-3 days to ship once order is placed. I always want to maintain a high level of customer service, while producing high quality meaningful gifts. I'm always available by email if you have any questions or special requests. Thank you and God Bless America!
-Lisa
