Sustainability Series - Sourcing Materials & Products Used In Studio

For another installment of my sustainability series I'm breaking down what I use in my studio and where I source my materials in order to keep things ethical and sustainable at Zaffera.

Up first, let's talk about the chemicals I use, or don't use. The word "chemical" makes it sound like something out of a science lab. And sometimes I do refer to my studio as my "lab," but in all seriousness, I've always put health first when it comes to products I use for jewelry making. Early on in my jewelry making adventure, I bought a book called, The Eco-Jeweler. I've used this a lot when deciding how to do things in the studio and always refer to it when venturing into new territory. With that in mind, let's dive in!

Pickle:

If you've followed any metalsmith for a while, you have most likely heard them refer to "pickle." I know I've had a few folks ask me what this is and it's basically what it sounds like. When you heat up metal it creates firescale, turning the metal darker. To clean this up you have to put the piece in a solution that will clean this off. 

You can buy different pickle mixes from jewelry supply companies, but my favorite way to create pickle is simply using vinegar and salt. It's definitely not the fastest way to clean up pieces, but as far as pickle goes, it is the healthiest option for both myself and the earth. 

Firescale Prevention: 

The best way to make clean up faster is to prevent firescale as much as possible in the first place. This is especially crucial when using gold filled metal, like I do. There are two ways that I do this. The old school way is by using a mixture of boric acid & denatured alcohol. It creates a coating on the piece and it's really fun to watch the alcohol burn off. The other is using a product called Firescoff. In terms of health, both of these rate as the best options and I love how clean it keeps the metal.

Patina:

Have you ever noticed when your silver jewelry has areas that have been purposefully darkened? This is a patina and, in my opinion, helps give depth to jewelry, especially silver. I have done this by using a hard boiled egg, which was a fun experiment, but not practical for how often I patina things. You can't eat the egg after, so it's kind of a waste. So I use liver of sulfur, which has a good rating in the Eco-Jewelry handbook. 

Polishing Compound: 

My favorite brand of polishing compound to use is LUXI, which I buy from Rio Grande. It is silica-free and contains no hazardous materials, which is why I love it. I'm still sure to always wear a mask when using it, but I definitely feel better than when using some of the other compounds I learned with. 

Next let's talk about sourcing materials. It's always been important to me to support other companies who do their part to take care of mother nature. So real quick, here are my favorite suppliers.

Metal: 

• Rio Grande
• Stullers 

Stones:

• Lucidity Gems 
• Haus of Stones 
• Rio Grande - they carry a whole line of stones that are all mined in America
• Local - I am located in Utah and we have some pretty awesome rocks around here! Every now and then I'm able to source stones that have been mined and cut by the locals in my area. 

Hope you've enjoyed another look into how I do things in my business, and if you yourself are wanting to venture into jewelry making and have questions, please let me know!

xo,

Erica