Process & Tools

Collection of jewelry and stones on a flat surface, including rings, stones, and other metal accessories.

Freshly cleaned silver pieces ready for a patina application and then stone setting.

A collection of silver jewelry arranged on a dark fabric surface, including rings, earrings, necklaces, and pins.

Freshly cleaned silver pieces ready for a patina application and then stone setting.

Soldering

Soldering is part of the creation process for most of La Colochina earrings, necklaces, rings and cuffs. It is the process of permanently joining pieces of metal using solder (a molten silver alloy) that has a lower melting point than the metal itself. Soldering requires an open flame torch, flux to prevent oxidation and precise heat control.

You might notice a small darkish spot appears at the solder point after some wear, which is a result of the soldering process. 

Temperature

Solder flows between 1205° and 1450° degrees depending on its type of easy, medium or hard. My heat source to join silver pieces is a small crème brûlée torch, but I’m working towards incorporating a bigger torch to be able to make bigger pieces. 

Patina

La Colochina jewelry typically has a liver of sulfur patina to give an antique, worn look to the metal. Patina accelerates the natural oxidization process that occurs when metals are exposed to sulfurs in the air.

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is an alloy composed of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals (like copper) for durability. Pure silver is too soft for everyday wear, so the 7.5% alloy is added to prevent bending.

Brass

Brass is a metallic alloy composed primarily of copper and then zinc. Brass will naturally oxidize when exposed to moisture, air, or skin oils, forming a patina. Regular polishing or a protective coating is needed to maintain its shine.

Stones

Deposits of turquoise are found across the world. In the United States, the most significant deposits are found in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado, but many of these historic sites are now depleted or closed.

Close-up of six silver earrings with geometric patterns hanging on a wooden stick, with a blurred background of yellow and green foliage.

Hand stamped silver wire almost on their way to being formed into hoops using a rawhide mallet.

A person's hand holding several silver bangles with detailed patterns, with a background featuring bottles and blurred objects.

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Metal mold with shell-shaped cavities used for shaping baked goods or candies.

A view of a shot plate that reshapes annealed silver and brass. You can see I’m holding the almost formed silver seashell charm above the carved shot plate.