Manufacturing Practice- Techniques

This list includes the techniques I use to create a desired effect on my metal (this has a relatively small scale negative impact) but some of these may need either alternate methods to ones generally used or have to be cut out completely.

     A.  Piercing- Includes saw frame and saw blades

B.Enameling- Glass enamel, glue, which is organic based gum and a kiln. The problem with kilns is they draw a heck load of electricity. 
      Alternative- Torch firing enamels, this just means there is less room for the various techniques of                      enameling. and that the backs of the pieces will burn slightly- adds to the effect i guess.

 C.Etching- To etch silver nitric acid is used.YUK. big NO NO. So i oust that completely.  
       Alternative- Find out if there is an eco alternative to get a similar effect. 

D.Chasing and Repousse- I make my own Chasing punches out of old tool steel, using old allen keys. Im not sure if using pitch is a problem or if i need to find alternatives. Ive worked on pine scraps, but detail is a problem as the plate needs to be held still. 

 E. Fly pressing- Uses a 20 ton hydrolic jack- second hand ones are easily available.

F.Casting- common lost wax casting technique for the entire process can include the necessity for , A valconizer, silicone, Pattern wax (aka injection wax), flasks, investment(terrible stuff), a de-bubblizer/casting machine and a kiln. 
     Alternative- Sand casting, or cuttle fish casting

G. Blackening- Liver of sulphur (also terrible stuff).
       Alternative- Boiled egg, re usable airtight container. 

      Im looking for other sustainable techniques that can create detail.Not really sure how to go about this just yet. I think a good place to start would be to look into primitive and ancient techniques and tools. By default they mostly made jewellery in a "sustainable" way because they had fewer resources and no mass production abilities. I would also have to look into cutting out certain techniques, like ones that include the use of toxic chemicals, and other un-essential, negative impact methods. 


   
   This post is to continuously be edited and added to.

Cow Shrine finally finished.

This pendant was made as a "cow temple". I suppose quite a personal piece. I  made it as a tribute to  Gopastami (the cow holiday) that is celebrated in India. I just think its so wonderful that they have a day dedicated to cows. My little cow is standing on the alter ready to be "worshiped". The cow is rather small and therefore may seem insignificant standing there, but i like to think of it as this big fuss (the rest of the pendant) that's been created around this cow. I used as little hot work as possible (for eco vibe) and set the front into the back, so the design on the back was originally for practicality, but turned out looking way better then the plain back.(Excuse my lens in the pic, not sure how to eliminate that). I spent what felt like a gazillion hrs making a lllloonnnggg chain for the pendant, for it to hang low. It turned out to not really suit it, so for now its on a belchar chain but have started another variation of the original chain that i think will be better suited.

Original chain.

The new one.

 Now that i thought this pendant was finished I've realized its not.... The front of it needs more contrast, I've highly polished the frame and glass brushed the inside, but its still all too white, I am going to blacken the back, leaving the pierced layered mandala white and frame polished. Although jewellery blackening solution is liver of sulfur - Nasty stuff... so i will find an alternative. Will post new pic once I've done that.

Manufacturing practice- Materials

To be able to manufacture environmentally sustainable jewellery, I need to ensure my practice is sustainable. This means working eco-consciously with awareness of the negative impact my practice may have on the environment. Creating ‘sustainable’ jewellery will therefore involve primarily identifying my practice which is broken into -Materials,- Processes/Methods and -Techniques. From there I am able to adjust my practice (where need be) to implement minimal or no environmental harm.

-Materials

 “The most important characteristic of green jewellery today is ethical material sourcing, and all sourcing issues stem from one central issue: extraction.” Craig (2009 : Pg 34).

 I mainly use silver for manufacture, other materials I may sometimes include in my work are enamels and ceramics.

A. Silver

  There are two ways in which to source silver, Through either Primary or secondary refining.

-          Primary refining

            This process is whereby first time silver is extracted from the earth (this can be environmentally devastating).  

-           Secondary refining

             The silver is sourced from an already existing product (recycling, or re-melting old silver jewellery).This process uses less resources, chemicals, and energy. One-fifth of silver mined each year, worldwide, goes into X-ray film. Craig (2009 : Pg36).

I am currently buying my silver from a secondary refiner (Virgo Metals Durban- 031 207 4290). This silver has been extracted from old X-rays. 

B. Enamel

 Enamelling is a technique that was used by most of the ancient civilizations and was continued to be used throughout history and still today. Enamel is basically ground glass. It is made from an extremely friable type of glass called frit. It is coloured using various minerals or metal oxides.- I don't see any sustainable related issues to enamel itself. Although different firing methods can be more or less sustainable (that will be touched on in my techniques section).

C.Ceramics

There are many different types of clay. I will have to find out from my supplier (Kamel Kilns) a bit more about the clay's and their origins before i can comment or judge.  

 Clay can also be primarily or secondarily sourced.
-Primary clay is found at the source where it formed. In some cases areas are deforested in order for its extraction :(.
-Secondary clay is where deposits have been moved from the original  location by erosion or water.


(Different firing methods will be looked at in the techniques section as well). 

 

Replacing Etching.

I want the cow shrine I'm making to be wonderfully decorative, as traditional Shrines generally are. To achieve this, a suitable technique would be etching, It really is a beautiful technique, but unfortunately requires the use of harsh Nitric acid. Which is why I've got to explore other suitable techniques that can possibly match/compare to the intricate detail that comes out when etching.

eg.1. Etched Bangle by Virginia Vivier

eg.2. Etched silver, Sarah Alford

Techniques that I would use to replace etching could be-

 - Piercing- then layering pierced plates (to give a sense of depth).

 - Roll Milling - Giving the metal an indented texture or pattern.

 - Engraving- Perfect technique..... but i need at least a million years practice before i dare. 

 - Chasing- adds the same sort of depth dimension as engraving would, I suppose (yet less detailed).

For this pendant I think I'm going to use piercing and roll milling layered together, maybe also small accents of chasing.

A post a chapter - 1 Old for New

I have read through most of Julia Manheims' book Sustainable Jewellery.  This research will fall into my first factor- The Trade- manufacturing process and materials used(other than metals, which will fall into 2. raw materials). Manheim talks about the different aspects of what makes jewellery sustainable.

 I have summarized her basic sub catagories which are explained in detail in each chapter, although some of  which have little relevance to my intention. Its still seems important that i look into what other people see as sustainable jewellery. I will look deeper into the relevant ones, and find other examples outside of the book to back it up further.

1. Old for New - Recycling existing jewellery, altering it, wearing it differently, melting it down and re working it,cutting it up, adding to it or covering it up. This chapter considers ways in which the jewellery can be reinvented even by simply changing the sentiment or idea behind it.

Siblings,necklace, Lin Cheung,2003. Silver,gold.

Jewellery for Sustainability

My intention is to manufacture jewellery using sustainable practices and techniques. I'm not really sure how to go about this just yet. I think a good place to start would be to look into primitive and ancient techniques and tools. By default they made jewellery in a "sustainable" way because they had fewer resources and no mass production abilities. I also want my jewellery to have the narrative message of what being 'green' means to me. I am passionate about sustainability through lifestyle awareness and conscious choices, so as a jeweller I'd like to do the same.

I think Jewellery's environmental footprint is made up of two factors:

1. The trade. By this i mean the process of jewellery manufacture (this has relatively small scale negative impact).
2. The raw material. Traditional jewellery generally is made from metal and stones. These are extracted from our earth through mining,(which has a significant negative environmental impact).

By breaking Jewellery's environmental impact down to two, i can focus my personal strategy for making sustainable jewellery . I can reduce my footprint by

1. Consciously choosing manufacturing processes(possibly primitive ones) and materials that are better for the environment, and
2. Sourcing low-footprint raw materials. Using recycled silver and ethically sourced stones. I am using recycled silver that has been extracted from old x-rays (a process i am keen to find out more about).

I think i may finally understand what it is that Im trying to do, hope so :) and having some fun.

My design and manufacture process.

I think that probably most designers across all fields have an area of their design or manufacture process that is most relevant or important to them, their work or their message/point. I think the area that is most relevant and important to me at this point is my manufacturing process. My designs also hold some relevance to my topic as i see the leaf as sort of a symbol for anything eco related, but without a sustainable eco manufacturing process my message is nothing, just an image of a leaf. I aim to get to a point where the manufacturing process of my jewellery leaves as little an environmental impact as possible, and one day hopefully none :).

I also find that as the manufacture of my jewellery becomes more sustainable, i want my designs to have more of a purpose as well. For this reason i have slightly changed my design approach, instead of just using an image of a stylized leaf shape (which started to get a little boring). I'm starting by using the leaves of indigenous trees as a referance.

Looking forward..... Where i see my work heading.

Looking forward my focus is on manufacturing jewellery in an Eco friendly way, leaving behind as little an impact as possible. By manufacturing in this way it will no doubt influence the appearance and feel of my work as i will have to cut out certain techniques and common practices (e.g kiln firing for enameling, using the ultra sonic, investment casting, maybe even down to the stardard sandpaper that us jewellers tend to go through like crazy).

My only problem here is that i actually don't yet know much about what makes all these practices "unsustainable". There is a lot of finding out that i have to do, to separate the techniques that leave a negative impact from those which are neutral.

I will continue to make leaves, as they are appropriate imagery to my theme and they make me happy. I am in the process of making a set ( necklace, bracelet, and a few variations of earrings) for the KZNSA Gallery. I am making this set as i would normally make a piece of jewelley, kiln and all. I am documenting this process in full.

Then i think a good place to start is to remake this set using different, more sustainable methods eg replacing enamelled colour leaf elements for that of green PET, and then making another set replacing those elements with found natural objects, then maybe maybe making the same piece again going back to silver but trying a technique such as repousse for the elements. All the while documenting these processes and establishing some sort of a personal method to creating Eco jewellery.

The challenge is to create beautiful therefore desirable jewellery using techniques and materials which may conventionally be seen as neither beautiful nor desirable.

Half way through the year........ looking back

So far i have spent most of this year making orders, which have mostly all been remakes of the range i took with me to Design Indaba. Through this continuous re-production i have become far better with the techniques of chasing and enamelling. I enjoy these techniques and will probably at some stage go back to them, or use them minimly with other techniques, but for now they limit my options ( in terms of "3D" form, i am only able to work on fine flat plate ).

I have not spent very much time designing and experimenting with new ideas, until recently. Working with ceramics and carving have enabled me to realize the potential in producing jewellery in a more sustainable way and with more form.

Finding ways.... Heading towards sustainable jewellery practices

A while ago I was looking through the journals in our campus library, I came across a really interesting article in the Metal Smith, the 7pg article is all about manufacturing “green” jewellery. Anyways I photocopied the article and put it in my file along with all the other things I find interesting, and then forgot about it (as I tend to do).

Happy days…. It’s been recovered!

There is an irony here in that I aim to produce sustainable jewellery, yet jewellery as an art form is hugely expensive to the earth. According to The Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent Toxic Release inventory “metal mining is the worst polluting industry in the U.S , accounting for 34% of all waste disposal.” Im sure this is similarly true for South Africa.

In between manufacturing plenty of orders (not complaining) and trying to squeeze in hand-ins for my lecturer, I’ve been looking for basic ways (within my means) to head towards making sustainable jewellery (I aim towards one day being as fully eco as I can possibly be in a jewellery workshop). By sustainable I mean being environmentally friendly and eco conscious in my jewellery and life practice.

“The most important characteristic of green jewellery today is ethical material sourcing, and all sourcing issues stem from one central issue: extraction.”

I have conquered the first step (extraction-metal sourcing)!!! There are two ways to go about it.

1. Primary refining

First time metal extracted from the earth (this can be environmentally devastating). But is possible to do in an ethical “sustainable” manner.

2. Secondary refining

Metal is sourced from an already existing product (recycling the metal).

This process uses less resources, chemicals, and energy.

One-fifth of silver used each yr, worldwide goes into X-ray film. I am currently buying my silver from a secondary refiner (Virgo Metals Durban). This silver is being extracted from X-rays (will expand on the process another time).

So from here I move to the next step… Acids, I aim to use none, and need to find eco alternatives.