Sterling Silver
This is the standard silver used in jewellery and silversmithing. It is composed of 92.5% pure silver alloyed with copper. Pure silver on its own would be too soft for making jewellery. Traditionally an article was hallmarked with the lion plus a sponsor's mark identifying the maker, a mark identifying the Assay Office where the article was tested plus a date letter showing the year it was tested. Under the new European law the 925 stamp plus the Assay Office mark is all that is necessary.
Britannia Silver
This has a higher percentage of pure silver (95.8%) and is softer than sterling silver. It is useful for making silver ware other than jewellery, such as bowls and boxes. The Britannia mark is 958 plus the optional addition of Britannia and the lion.
Enamel
Enamel is glass made from silica, borax and other materials with various metal oxides added to colour it. The best results are achieved using lump enamel, which must be freshly ground in a pestle and mortar and carefully washed before use. This produces purer colours than those achieved with ready to use powdered enamel and is the technique used by Judith Phibbs. The article is normally fired in a kiln at about 900ºC to fuse the enamel to the metal. It is one of the oldest forms of decoration used by jewellers and silversmiths.
Champlevé Enamel
Developed by the Celts as early as the 5th century B.C as a decorative material in its own right rather than as a substitute for stones. Cells or depressions were gouged out of the metal and filled with enamel. Today the cells are more usually engraved or etched out with acid.
Cloisonné Enamel
Very fine silver or gold wire is applied to the first coat of enamel to form cells which are filled with coloured enamels. The resulting design is often finer and more delicate than in the champlevé technique.
Millefiori Beads
Multicoloured glass rods are fused together and wound onto a metal rod which is carefully rotated in a flame. The force of gravity and the fluidity of the molten glass blend and swirl the colours in a way that is unique to this ancient technique. Sometimes called trade beads (they were used as currency in the early days of colonisation) the island of Murano, near Venice, has long been a centre for their production.
Oxidised
Silver can be blackened by exposing it to sulphur, a process which is similar to the natural process of tarnishing. Used as a decorative enhancement of textured or patterned work the contrast between the dark oxidised areas and the natural metal can produce dramatic effects. There is a risk that oxidised areas may be removed by chemical cleaners such as Goddards Silver Dip.
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