Sword hilt courtesy of the divers and archeologists working on Queen Anne's Revenge ship recently found off the coast of NC
With the recent steep rise in prices of precious metal, has come another neat idea: metal clay made up of the non-precious metals. They are real metals for art jewelry which could offer a gold color but not cost $1600 a troy ounce.
Wow! What a neat idea. The cool silvery glint of sterling silver or platinum is much sought after, but many have always intensely loved the way that warm colors of gold or copper. Copper has always been used in jewelry, is certainly well-known for turning skin green, and conversely thought to be a healer of arthritis pain, but not since the time of the Romans have we seen much bronze jewelry.
So, bronze in modern jewelry? Do you have a foundry in your neighborhood to cast a form for a ring or a bracelet? Cn you melt copper and tin in the correct ratio and pour this metal into a mold? Do you have the strength to saw it or drill it or grind it? Remember the Bronze Age? Why do you think the armies who had bronze axes and helmets and breast plates were so often the winners in combat? It is REALLY hard. [click to continue…]
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