Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


-----

Can I change the texture of an existing silver item? (from plain, smooth texture to a rough cut)

March 1, 2009

Hi,
I am Nina from Sydney, with a query about changing textures. I am interested in how to obtain this texture

I find these textures on many silver articles now, and have an old silver necklace with the typical plain, smooth texture. I would like to convert it to the texture described above by any means (electro plating/ painting on a silver paint)

Nina Puckeridge
hobbyist - Sydney, NSW, Australia

P.S.: Although I am in Australia, I will be visiting the USA in April and able to follow up with this.

---

This looks like a stippled surface, probably done with a machine set up for this specific item and mass produced. An experienced jewelry engraver can do this by hand but it won't be cheap.

Neil Bell
Red Sky Plating

Albuquerque, New Mexico

March 3, 2009

---

April 16, 2009

Dear Nina,
The pieces in your picture look like they were done by a process called "Silver Krystal". The process was developed by Ms. Yunghan Kuo of Halo Decorative and Chen Tse Enterprises of Bangkok, Thailand and Taipei, Taiwan. The process was mentioned in a paper presented by Marc Robinson at the 2008 Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology. It is a new electroplating process.

Good luck & Best regards,

Jim Sivertsen
Alloys & Refining - Alden, New York

---

April 17, 2009

Jim,
You're right, I don't know how I missed the resemblance to the process described by Marc in his paper. Good eye.

Neil Bell
Red Sky Plating

Albuquerque, New Mexico