Repoussé

The photo of the bracelet in the previous post was made using a technique called repoussé. After tracing the design onto a sheet of silver, the silversmith hammers the design out from the back of the sheet to create the three dimensional surface. The silversmith cuts a second sheet of the same size, which will later form the back of the piece.

This technique requires a great deal of skill as hammering can stress the metal and each section must still retain enough strength to be durable and wearable. A process called annealing enables the smith to keep the metal malleable.

Once the design is hammered out, the silvermsmith solders the second sheet of silver in place. In this piece below, the two symmetrical halves are held together by a spring, which is inserted between the front and back pieces on each side. To produce a piece of this comlexity, not only must the metalworking skills be of the highest caliber, the design involved must be suitable for the technique.