Silver And Gold Pendant Pima Indian Design

This stunning design is from my North American Indian Motif book. The Pima live in Southern Arizona and Northwestern Mexico. Their designs are elaborate and best seen in their basket weaving and other arts. The designs are detailed and intricate.

Etching is an interesting process. The pattern is copied onto blue Press and Peel paper. It is burnished onto heated sterling silver sheet. Once the piece cools, the paper is peeled off, the design is left on the silver, sort of like a tattoo. The piece is placed in an acid bath which etches the design into the silver. After the etch is deep enough the silver is placed in a neutralizing solution. The remains of the blue paper is cleaned off. The piece is sawed away from the sheet silver, filed, refined and polished. 

I depletion gilded this piece and burnished 24K Gold Foil on parts of the heated silver.

The burnishing of 24K Gold Foil onto pure silver is an ancient Korean technique called Keum Boo.

Dimensions : Diameter 2 inches. Gold filled 20 inch, loop on loop chain with a lobster claw clasp.