Rules
Silver craft labeling and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act
See how the Indian Arts and Crafts Act shapes silver craft origin claims, records, and seller practices in Santa Fe and Tucson.
Silver & Craft / the editors
Reviews
Silver decoration methods compared: hammer texture, stamping, chasing and engraving
Silver decoration methods compared by metal movement, tools, support, depth, repeatability, correction limits, surface effects, and suitable design work.
Guides
Laying out and stamping a repeat pattern on silver: coupon method and inspection
Use drawn datums, matching coupons and a divided strike sequence to lay out and stamp a repeat pattern on silver, then check depth, reverse witness and flatness.
Guides
Silver surface decoration guide: chasing and engraving
Silver surface decoration guide for chasing, repoussé and engraving: prove tools on matching coupons, choose supports, sequence strikes and inspect the reverse.
Features
Sterling silver pendant project case: process plan, controls, and final inspection
A fictional supervised project making one oval sterling silver pendant: design record, process plan, hazard controls, measurements, inspection and limits.
Rules
Silversmithing workmanship problems: poor fit, distorted metal and heat damage
Silversmithing workmanship problems diagnosed through fit, distortion, scratches, heat history, lost dimensions, controlled corrections, and stop points.
Features
Diagnosing a failed sterling-silver box seam case
Failed silver box seam case using intake records, defect maps, fit and heat evidence, measured rework limits, coupon trials, inspection criteria, and prevention.
Rules
Silver soldering problems: diagnose failed joints
Silver soldering problems can involve poor fit, flux, filler, heat, or contamination. Learn how to inspect failed joints and assess rework risks.
Features
Correcting a pierced silver pattern without losing symmetry case
Pierced silver correction case using datums, paired measures, defect mapping, filing limits, structural checks, before-and-after records, and a clear stop decision.
Rules
Jeweler's Saw Problems: A Diagnostic Overview
An overview of common jeweler's saw problems, including blade breaks, wandering cuts, seized corners, burrs, sheet distortion, and holding faults.
Guides
Cast, Fabricated or Die-Struck: Reading Silver Method and Marks
Cast, fabricated and die-struck silver is judged by its interior, weight and marks. Sterling stamps, chain repair and plated pieces, explained for US buyers.
Features
Forming a tapered silver cuff from measured stock case
Tapered silver cuff case using a measured blank, section map, staged forging and bending, controlled annealing, released-shape checks, and final records.
Guides
Sterling Silver Hallmarks and Craft: How to Tell Sterling From Silver Plate
Silver hallmarks and craft: what a sterling stamp legally means, how cast pieces are finished, and how to spot plating under a decorative surface.
Rules
Silver forming problems: cracks, wrinkles, springback and tool marks
Silver forming problems guide for cracks, wrinkles, springback, uneven thickness, dents, tool marks, root-cause evidence, correction limits, and rejection.
Guides
How Silver Jewelry Is Made: Hallmarks, Casting and Solid vs Plated
Silver jewelry and hardware craft: how casting, stamping and finishing actually work, what hallmarks state, and how to tell solid silver from plated.
Features
Identify inherited silver object: mark to material
Learn to identify inherited silver object marks: photograph them before polishing, read them against the assay system, and test each zone of the metal.
Rules
Silver Firestain Porosity Problems: Safe Triage
Silver firestain porosity problems: learn to distinguish surface change, casting voids, contamination, mixed alloys, and misleading marks before repair.
Rules
How to Buy Real Sterling Silver Online: US Hallmark and Seller Checks
Buying real sterling silver online in the US means reading the mark and the listing. Here are the checks that separate sterling from plated metal.
Rules
Canadian Silver Hallmarking Rules: What Makers Must Know Before Stamping
Canadian silver hallmarking rules stem from the Precious Metals Marking Act, not UK or US assay law. Here is what makers may stamp and the risk of errors.
Guides
Lost Wax vs Sand vs Cuttlefish Casting for Silver: Which Method Fits?
Silver casting methods compared: lost wax, sand, and cuttlefish casting for silver jewelry and hardware. Equipment prices in USD and US maker spaces.
Guides
How to Read a US Silver Maker's Mark When There Is No Assay Office
How to read a US silver maker's mark with no assay office: use state historical societies, trade catalogs and maker registers, plus what federal law allows.
Guides
Silver Clay vs Traditional Silversmithing: A Comparison
Silver clay vs traditional silversmithing compared by setup, speed, material and Canadian costs, with marking rules and a practical beginner decision rule.
Guides
How Can You Tell Sterling Silver from Silver Plate at a US Thrift Store?
How to tell sterling silver from silver plate: what marks to read, what a magnet and a scratch test show, and where each method fails at a US thrift store.
Rules
US Silver Hallmarking Laws: When Can You Legally Call It Sterling?
US silver hallmarking laws rest on the FTC Jewelry Guides, not a federal assay office. Learn what a compliant stamp carries and who enforces it.
Guides
How to anneal and form a silver band in controlled stages
Anneal and form a silver band with documented stock, measured layout, alloy-specific heat, staged mandrel passes and inspection at every step.
Reviews
Fine silver vs sterling silver: what the names don't tell you
Fine silver vs sterling silver, Argentium-type alloys, and silver plate: what each name does and does not tell you about the metal.
Maintenance
Silversmithing Bench Safety Checklist for Shop Setup
A silversmithing bench safety checklist for shop setup, covering tool checks, hot work, chemicals, dust, ventilation, protective equipment, and stop conditions.
Maintenance
Silver forming checklist: hammer, stake, annealing, measurement and surface control
A bench checklist for silver forming: stock records, hammer and stake condition, annealing cycles, released measurements and surface limits.
Reviews
Hard, medium, easy, and extra-easy silver solder compared
Silver solder grades differ by supplier, not by fixed rule, so compare each alloy's melting range sheet before you buy or plan a joint sequence.
Guides
Record evidence to identify unknown silver colored metal
To identify unknown silver colored metal, record provenance, marks and construction before arranging suitable analysis; keep conclusions tied to the evidence.
Reviews
Jewelry cutting methods compared: choosing a method
Jewelry cutting methods compared by geometry, access, stock, distortion, and cleanup, with guidance on when a jeweler's saw, snips, or disc cutter fits.
Guides
How to pierce a clean interior shape in sheet silver
Cut a clean interior opening in sheet silver by drilling in the waste, threading the blade, and rotating the work instead of forcing the saw.
Guides
Skills for a first silver workshop project
A practical skills-and-process plan for a first silver workshop project, covering design, tools, training, safety, scrap tests, inspection, and records.
Guides
How to solder a silver seam: fit, flux and heat
Fit, clean, flux and heat a silver seam so solder flows once into the gap, then cool, pickle and inspect the joint and record the result.
Reviews
Raising, sinking, forging, bending, and die forming compared
Silver forming methods compared by metal movement, tooling, stock limits, section change, surface effects, repeatability, measurement, and shop safety.
Maintenance
Jeweler's saw checklist for a controlled workflow
A jeweler's saw checklist for documenting stock and layout, checking tools and support, cutting with control, inspecting the result, and safe closeout.
Guides
Silver alloys guide: reading fineness marks
This silver alloys guide explains what fineness marks establish, what they leave unknown, and how to handle stock and unidentified silver-colored metal.
Guides
Silver forming guide: hammers, stakes, mandrels, annealing, and shape control
Silver forming moves metal on purpose. Match hammer to stake, anneal at set points, measure wall thickness each stage, and keep a bench record.
Guides
Silver sawing and piercing guide: layout, blades, support, turns, and cleanup
Silver sawing and piercing: mark the keep side, pick a blade that fits the stock, support the cut, turn the work around a moving blade, then file to the drawing.
Guides
Silver soldering guide: fit, heat, and inspection
This silver soldering guide explains seam fit, controlled heating, workshop safety, and post-cleaning inspection, while treating filler labels as relative.
Maintenance
Silver stock record checklist for traceability
Use this silver stock record checklist to track supplier details, material marks, batch codes, process notes, and release checks from intake to finished piece.
Reviews
Silversmith, goldsmith, jeweler, and metalsmith work compared
Metalwork roles compared by object scale, material, forming, joining, stone work, repair, design, training, workshop equipment, and professional overlap.
Guides
Silversmithing foundations guide: design, metal, tools, sequence, and records
Silversmithing foundations guide covering bench decisions from drawing to hallmark, with tool choices, joining order, finishing and records.
Maintenance
Silver soldering safety checklist for trained torch use
Silver soldering safety checklist for trained torch users, covering equipment, work area, joint checks, heating, shutdown, cleanup, and release inspection.
Start here
Rules
Silver craft labeling and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act
See how the Indian Arts and Crafts Act shapes silver craft origin claims, records, and seller practices in Santa Fe and Tucson.
Guides
How humidity affects silver soldering and storage in US regions
This silver guide explains how humidity drives tarnish and flux behavior in coastal, desert and northern US studios, plus casting, dehumidifier and storage steps.
Guides
Silver surface decoration guide: chasing and engraving
Silver surface decoration guide for chasing, repoussé and engraving: prove tools on matching coupons, choose supports, sequence strikes and inspect the reverse.
Guides
Silver alloys guide: reading fineness marks
This silver alloys guide explains what fineness marks establish, what they leave unknown, and how to handle stock and unidentified silver-colored metal.
Guides
Silver forming guide: hammers, stakes, mandrels, annealing, and shape control
Silver forming moves metal on purpose. Match hammer to stake, anneal at set points, measure wall thickness each stage, and keep a bench record.
Guides
Silver sawing and piercing guide: layout, blades, support, turns, and cleanup
Silver sawing and piercing: mark the keep side, pick a blade that fits the stock, support the cut, turn the work around a moving blade, then file to the drawing.
Latest from Silver & Craft
Rules
Silver craft labeling and the Indian Arts and Crafts Act
See how the Indian Arts and Crafts Act shapes silver craft origin claims, records, and seller practices in Santa Fe and Tucson.
Guides
How humidity affects silver soldering and storage in US regions
This silver guide explains how humidity drives tarnish and flux behavior in coastal, desert and northern US studios, plus casting, dehumidifier and storage steps.
Features
Repair Misaligned Stamped Silver Border: Fictional Scenario
A fictional scenario treats “repair misaligned stamped silver border” as a craft problem, tracing drift, a corner redesign, and release checks.
Rules
Silver stamping problems: double strikes, drifting patterns and uneven depth
Silver stamping problems guide for double strikes, drifting patterns, torn edges, distorted sheet, uneven depth, evidence checks, controlled trials, and rejection.