Oxidizing your sterling silver charms, chains, and beads helps you make stand out designs. Oxidized silver has a dark, almost black finish and contrasts beautifully to many gemstones and to Vermeil style gold plate components. Many women love the look of mixed metals, like blackened silver chain combined with gold and silver chains. It’s sophistication with an edge!

Oxidizing your silver components is easy, a lot of fun, and (fair warning) can be addictive. Here are a few facts and pointers to get you started. When exposed to air all sterling silver will oxidize, achieving a beautiful aged patina. Oxidation is a natural process that occurs on the surface of silver caused by exposure to oxygen and pollutants in the air, like sulfur.

If you’d like to speed up the oxidation of your silver, here are a few suggestions to get you going. I always recommend using a dry concentrate of Liver of Sulfur because it’s easier to work with than the liquid form. An 8oz container from Rio Grande is inexpensive and will last you a very long time! Read and follow the instructions carefully. Though not toxic, make sure to work in a well ventilated area – Liver of Sulfur is very stinky, like rotten eggs! I like to get as much done at one time as possible, so I’ll start filling up a bag with items I want to oxidize. Once the bag gets full enough, I’ll oxidize a big batch. Try experimenting with the heat and concentration of the solution to achieve slightly different finishes. Also, try experimenting with the final surface by selectively polishing off certain areas, or rough up the texture with a scotch bright pad.

Check out our Black Satin Collection for styles we carry with a lustrous oxidized finish.

The mysterious look achieved through oxidizing silver

Black Satin Collection

Jewelry findings can be easily modified to create a unique, custom look for your jewelry. When we are sketching new components, we often try to incorporate a variety of design options into the piece. For example, a top jump ring can be clipped off a pendant (use flush cut wire cutters and file off any remaining sharp edges on the silver) and then wire wrapped to sections of a chain or links. A beautiful clasp can be used as a centerpiece in the front of a necklace; dangles can be attached to the bottom edge of a pendant to add movement to the design; or a pendant can be used as a link instead of just a pendant.

Jewelry finding A475 used as is.

Jewelry Finding A475 used as a link.

A475 with jumpring clipped off and wire wrapped to links.

A475 with jumpring clipped off and flipped upside down.

As jewelry designers ourselves, we like to use components in fresh, unexpected ways. It’s a simple technique to set yourself apart from other designers. With a little modification, one piece can be transformed into a number of different components.

We’ve also had success with “blackening” our silver for a unique finish.  Additionally, we’ve used matte paper to add a satin  finish to shiny silver and gold plate (the matte paper “scratches” the surface slightly to dull the shiny finish).  How have you modified parts to make them your own?