ES

Texturing metal surfaces in jewelry

· 1 min read · Techniques

Illustration: Texturing metal surfaces in jewelry

A texture changes how light moves across a piece. There are many ways to create one, from the most rustic to the most precise.

Steps of the technique: Anneal, Choose the texture, Apply, Check, Anneal or not, Finish
Summary of the steps

With a hammer #

Ball, flat-faced or chisel hammers leave regular or irregular marks. Hammering also hardens the metal.

By rolling #

Passing a sheet of metal through the rolling mill with paper, fabric, leaves or engraved plate transfers the pattern to the surface.

Bark texture #

The surface is heated until it almost melts and then cooled, leaving a tree-bark look.

With burs and stamping #

Burs and punches leave controlled marks. Sandblasting or bead blasting gives an even matte finish.

Step by step #

  1. Anneal. Leave the metal soft.
  2. Choose the texture. Hammer, rolling or bur.
  3. Apply. Work evenly over the whole surface.
  4. Check. Watch the light across the texture.
  5. Anneal or not. Depending on thickness and hardening.
  6. Finish. Clean with a brush and, if wanted, oxidize.

Tools and materials #

  • Ball-peen and texturing hammers
  • Rolling mill with paper or fabric
  • Burs and brushes
  • Oxidizers (coloring)

Common mistakes #

  • Very deep textures on thin sheet.
  • Applying the texture unevenly.
  • Polishing and erasing the texture by mistake.
  • Forgetting the thickness that is lost.

See also #

This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.