What Is Bali Silver Made Of?
Silver handmade beads, pendants, toggles, clasps, charms and chain from Bali and the Hill Tribes of Thailand are popular in jewelry. They add a rich texture and bold contrast to many designs. Because of the popularity of Bali beading components, there are many imitations on the market--so caveat emptor, or "Let the buyer beware."
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History
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The metalsmiths of Bali have been making beads for many hundreds of years; historically, they used silver to make bowls and items for their temple offerings, but gold for jewelry. Traditionally most Balinese would rather go without jewelry than wear pieces made of silver. That all changed when tourism brought an influx of visitors to the island in the 1970s.
Certain communities on Bali specialize in the art of silversmithing and have been passing their techniques to succeeding generations. In recent years, young people from diverse backgrounds have begun working side by side with families who have been working with precious metals for hundreds of years.
Silver Percentage
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Sterling silver consists of 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent copper and will be stamped "925" or "sterling." Fine silver contains 99.9 percent pure silver. Bali silver ranges between 92.5 and 99.9 percent silver.
Casting and Granulation in Bali Silver Components
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Granulation makes each component a miniature work of art.
Balinese artisans begin by "casting" a base bead or other component. Casting in this case means pouring liquid silver into a mold to create the base piece, which is then decorated by soldering additional pieces of silver onto it.
Lauren Bracken, artist and writer from Oakland, California, has been working with Bali silver for many years creating jewelry with "emotional and intuitive" appeal. In her article "Bali and Thai Silver," she describes granulation as applying "tiny sterling decorations (dots, scrolls, lines, etc.) to the surface of a cast shape. They also decorate by applique, incision, etching and wire wrapping."
Contrast Color in Bali Silver
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After the beads or other components are finished, they are cleaned with a solution made from tamarind fruit, then dipped into an antiquing solution. This last step in the process fills the grooves with a dark color to create a contrast between the high and low parts of the bead.
Buyer Beware
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Genuine Bali beads and components are hand-crafted. In an effort to satisfy an increasing market demand, some beads are being cast to appear as if they were hand-decorated.
Bracken says, "If the dots 'bleed' into one another, it's easier to assume they were created when silver was poured into a mold that had dot indentations in it rather than [being] created as separate little dots and applied to a base bead. If wire scrolls have no line, how was it applied to the bead?"
Learn as much as you can about these beautiful beads, and you can be confident that you're getting the real thing.
Look closely at the lines and dots to determine if the bead is cast.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Lauren Bracken, Bracken Designs
