More New Tricks - Silversmithing!

Earring in the making

One of the leaflets left in our villa by the owners told of a place where we could learn a number of different things from local craftspeople - silversmithing, carving, painting, batik, and the art of weaving the little offering dishes.  

I mentioned to Glen that I thought I’d take the silver class and perhaps he would enjoy the woodcarving, but he surprised me by saying he’d like to do the silver class as well.  We have been having little conversations with two English women - Sadie and Avril -  who are staying in the next villa over from us, and it was decided that we would all go together.

The class was $3,500.000 Rupiah (about $35 Canadian) and included pick up and drop off from and to our villa, 5 grams of silver, the lesson and “small foods and a drink”.  

We were driven through a series of ever-smaller country lanes, and eventually arrived at a fair-sized building which housed an enclosed retail area and a huge covered patio area where tables were set up and various classes were taking place.  We sat down at a long table, joining a mom (Louise) and her two daughters (Majella and Jaz) who were from Australia, and whom we all quickly befriended.  We were all given paper and pencils, along with baskets full of photographs of jewellery, and told to start designing our piece.  We could make earrings, a pendant, or a ring and could use the photos as inspiration.

The silversmiths worktable.  Beautiful setting.

They brought each of us a beautiful plate with three little baskets - under one lid was deep fried pineapple, another housed deep fried banana and the third had the most delicious syrupy sauce - I was told it was palm sugar syrup.  Divine!

Small foods.  Even the bottle is decorated with
a piece of leaf and a straw.  

Poor Glen almost gave up at this point as he didn’t believe he could design anything, but the table of 6 women all encouraged him and he finally decided to do a yin/yang pendant.  Avril and Sadie decided to make rings for each other, Majella and her mom decided on pendants, and Jaz and I decided on earrings.  A nice balance for the table.  

A set of tools and a piece of paper each - start drawing!  My
earrings are now cut out and I have some bits of silver 
wire ready to start decorating.

Glen has cut out the perfect circle

Sadie, Glen and our instructor - all very focussed!

Avril is going to get this right!

So we drew away, and then were given flat pieces of silver to start cutting out our pieces.  We then proceeded to decorate the flat bits with bits of silver wire.  Once that was all done, we handed our masterpieces to one of the two instructors who were armed with flaming soldering tools that were operated by foot pumps.  They joined the wire to the flat pieces - much to our disappointment, as we all felt we were deprived of learning that piece of the lesson.  I guess they didn’t want us playing with fire and burning the place down.  Or maybe they just wanted us to go home with something that didn't look like a blob!

Soldering Glen's pendant

Making silver balls

Setting the silver wire into place on my earrings

The pieces were returned to us after soldering, and we spent a bit of time filing off rough edges.  From there, they were put into some sort of liquid solution and sat there for 20 minutes while we all chattered away getting to know each other and sharing tips on things to do and places to eat.  

Glen is relieved that he made it through the class!

One of the rings after soldering and now ready for filing.
 I think this is the one Sadie made.

An earring in the making

Once out of the solution, we cleaned off the brownish residue left over from the soldering, the pieces were polished on a polishing wheel (again, by the instructor), and we were done!  

Bending my earrings into shape

Completed rings

Sadie and Avril - 'just married'!  They made rings for each other.

Earrings need posts

My masterpiece!  Ha! Actually, I quite like them.

Each piece was unique and I think we were all pleased with our creations.  I’ll definitely be thinking of that day and the people I shared it with every time I wear those earrings.  

Pendants (clockwise from left)  by Majella,
Glen and Louise

Ring ready for filing and then cleaning