Statement cuff bracelet in argentium sterling silver no. 2 // Scrollwork cuff // Sculptural cuff

Idle Gauds Jewelry and Metals Verified independent store

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Entirely unique, designed and painstakingly handmade by me in my Connecticut studio. The ancient metal-sculpting method of chasing and repoussé was used to make artwork around the globe, from the mask of Tutankhamun to the Statue of Liberty. This argentium sterling silver cuff bracelet features a raised rococo scrollwork design and a comfortable contoured fit. Chasing and repoussé is a labor-intensive, high-contact process. First, I embed sheet metal in a cast-iron bowl filled with a mixture of pine pitch and brick dust. Using a chasing hammer and a series of specialized steel punches, I gradually push the metal into higher and higher relief, softening it between sessions with high heat as the hammering quickly makes the metal go hard and rigid. It took several days to make this cuff, with multiple sessions of careful sculpting in the pitch bowl followed by shaping and polishing. Argentium sterling silver has a high pure silver content (94%, vs. 92.5% for ordinary sterling). The silver is 100% recycled. Argentium is tarnish-resistant due to a patented hypoallergenic formula. It finishes hard and is as suitable for everyday wear as platinum or white gold. Show more