Jan Finnell is Over the Top: Adventures in Sterling Silver

Since Spring of 2012 I've been taking metalsmithing classes, which has opened up a whole new world of expression for me. My first efforts have been rather modest - pieces in copper and brass and simple skills such as soldering, sawing, and more sawing. I don't have most of the equipment in my home studio; I use my school's studio for torch and other work, so it takes a little time to fabricate pieces for my shop. Here's a gallery of my pieces so far.

Antique chandelier crystal wire-wrapped to a handmade oxidized and brushed sterling silver component and handmade earwires.

Pyrite coin pill beads on handmade hammered ball head pin sterling silver earwires with a satin finish that contrasts the shiny beads.

I purchased this lemon yellow Art Deco stylized heart-shaped glass cabochon and couldn't wait to make a bezel setting for it. Here's the result, on a novelty sterling chain.

I cut these leaf shapes from sterling silver sheet, filed the edges, punched with the smallest dapper and oxidized them. Then I brushed the raised bumps with fine sandpaper to clean them off and polished the edges for some contrast. I also made a pair in shiny copper and sterling, which I will post when I've finished them.

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These copper earrings were made in the same manner as the sterling earrings, and a sterling silver jump ring was soldered around the hole. I also made the earwires. I have never been much of a fan of copper, as it turns dark so quickly, but I lacquer the surface to keep it from tarnishing.

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This organic pendant was made from sterling silver sheet, silver balls and a labradorite cabochon.

Back view with texture and scratches added for interest.

I love circles, and have been experimenting with wire of different gauges that I cut into jump rings, then soldered, hammered and textured. I completed a 36-inch sterling silver chain necklace using 14 gauge wire, that involved plenty of torch time, hammering and filing. I wore it for the first time this summer and while I still see places to file smooth, want to preserve a sense of primitive roughness.

Each ring is roughly an inch wide, but I varied the sizes here and there and hammered some into ovals for variation.

The earrings began as wire, and was soldered, hammered and filed for a matte finish. I even made my own earwires for these, of heavier 19 gauge wire - comfortable and sturdy. These are quite long - 4.5 inches from top to bottom. I made another pair for myself and have been most gratified to receive compliments on them the first time I wore them. I don't have a long neck and am not tall, so you'd think that these would be too large for me, but they're very flattering.

Here's another pair: shaped hammered wire with freshwater pearls in mauve and peach. The texture of the shaped wire is matte, which I find more interesting than shiny silver.

I made this bracelet for a male friend for his birthday - 12 gauge sterling wire annealed and wrestled into an oval, then rubbed with a polishing pad for a matte look on the outside, shiny on the inside. The chain is a somewhat manly vintage brass novelty chain, oxidized and brushed, and closes with a lobster clasp. It could also work for a woman, and next time I think I'll make the oval a bit smaller.

I made these lightweight rings, hammered, textured and oxidized them, and added dyed freshwater pearls.

This necklace has one of my round shaped rings at the center, holding together the various chains and drops. I used a textured sterling chain that I bought last year for myself, but I couldn't decide what to use it for and had a little too much of it, so I sacrificed it for this piece.

I wire-wrapped (a ton of sterling silver wire!) some clear chandelier crystals and rutilated clear-quartz briolettes for some nice contrast to the oxidized silver. I like the industrial feel of this necklace and the texture...oh, the texture!

Matching earrings, for the matchy-matchy who walk among us. :)

I revised a bracelet that expired, using green rutilated quartz and a pillow cut green chalcedony bead, plus another textured ring and handmade hook and eye clasp, and oxidized and brushed all of the hardware.

This bracelet is a little late for the season - it's really more of a summer piece, or feels that way to me because of the turquoise, but I'd forgotten about the brilliant striped agate beads that I purchased at the Bead Show in 2010 and never used. I had some more rings left and added two textured ones for variety. The beads shown are some fun turquoise nuggets, striped agate ad one last labradorite beauty from a certain stash.