Pretty fine silver and sterling silver handmade dahlia flower stud earrings.
These pretty, boho style studs are completely handcrafted by me in pure silver. They are oxidised with a patina to create a distressed, antique finish which highlights all the detail of the flowers.
The flowers are pure .999 solid silver, handmade using precious metal clay. They are securely soldered onto sterling silver ear posts and fasten with sterling silver butterfly backs.
Scroll down for more info about the creation process.
DETAILS AND MEASUREMENTS
- Handmade to order and ready to ship in 3 to 5 working days.
- Oxidised finish.
- Flowers are 999 fine silver and measure approx 9mm (one-third of an inch) wide.
- Ear posts and butterfly backs are 925 sterling silver.
- Posts are soldered, not glued, for a secure finish.
- Earrings will ship in a little Tiny Tree Frog gift box.
HOW ARE THEY CREATED?
The little flowers are handmade by me using eco-friendly silver clay (see below for more information about silver clay). The clay is shaped, dried, sanded and kiln fired. The flowers are then securely soldered onto a pair of sterling silver posts and the oxidised patina added, before being barrel polished in a tumbler to a high shine. The earrings are finished with sterling silver butterfly backs.
WHAT IS FINE SILVER/SILVER CLAY?
Fine silver is made from precious metal silver clay, which looks and feels like regular sculpting clay but contains fine particles of pure silver mixed with a non-toxic organic binder. It is eco-friendly since the silver particles are recycled silver reclaimed from medical, scientific and communications equipment.
Once the clay is fired in the kiln, the binder burns away leaving a fine silver piece which is 99.9% pure silver (compared to sterling silver which is only 92.5% pure silver, the remainder being mainly copper).
Fine silver contains no other metals. It is tarnish resistant and, due to its purity, it is less likely to cause any reactions on the skin.
Fine silver pieces can be hallmarked at the Assay Office if they weigh more than 7.78 grams. Since my jewellery pieces are below this weight, I choose not to have them hallmarked.
