Etched Sterling Leaves On A Vine Cuff

Etching is a fun but time consuming process. You start out with sheet silver. You choose your pattern, in this case from my Indian design book, and print it on special paper. You burnish the design on to the heated metal and then peel off the paper. The silver sheet is then floated on an acid bath. The exposed metal gets etched with the selected pattern. After you have achieved a deep enough etch the silver is neutralized and the blue design is scrubbed off with a solvent.

I cut the piece out of the sheet metal with a jeweler's saw. I filed and then smoothed all sides with sand paper. The cuff was hammered into shape on a bracelet mandrel. I then painted the leaves on the vine with patina. The purple and blue colors make them stand out. The bracelet looks ancient and decorative.

Dimensions : 6 inches X 1 inch. It is open ended so should fit any wrist and any person.