How to Cold Forge Silver

Hammered silver is harder and more ornate than soft silver.

Cold-forged silver simply means hammered silver, a process done without heat of any kind. Hammering silver not only gives it a finished look, it also hardens the metal, making it more durable.



Since cold-forging silver requires very few special tools, even amateur jewelry artists can try it. If you know how to use a hammer, you can learn to hammer silver. Cold-forged silver is significantly more delicate than other kinds of hammer work, but most determined artists should be able to turn out lovely pieces with practice.

Things You'll Need

• Silver wire jewelry piece
• Steel hammering block
• Hammers
• Pliers

Instructions

1. Place a silver wire jewelry piece on top of a steel hammering block. Silver wire works well for beginners and experts because you can experiment with different effects. The steel block provides a hard surface to help bend and harden the silver.

2. Choose your hammer. Large hammers harden large areas of wire all at once, while smaller hammers give you precision for texturing effects. Curved hammers dent the wire, while flat hammers flatten it into a thin sheet.

3. Bring the hammer to about 1 1/2 inches above the silver piece and bring it down with a sharp rap. If the piece tries to bounce, press it down on either side of the hammering target with your thumb and forefinger. Aim precisely with your hammer to avoid injury.

4. Apply pressure with pliers to flatten a wire section without changing its shape. Press down on the wire about 1/8 inch away from the spot you want to hammer. Tap the desired area with a small hammer.

References

• Created Expression: Hammer Wire
• Atelier Albert Cohen: Jewelry Making: How to Hammer Jewelry