The ability to walk that fine line between total collapse of a piece and control of the fine nuances is a skill that must be accomplished while fusing Argentium Sterling Silver. This skill can be mastered with practice.  When learning to fuse, one tends to go a little too far and the metals may shrink, warp, bubble or melt a bit. I find that this sometimes adds wonderful textures that I could not repeat if I tried so I have learned to value their contribution to the piece.

In this workshop we will cover the benefits of using tarnish resistant Argentium Sterling Silver. Among one of the benefits of Argentium is its ability to fuse together extremely well while holding fine textures. The top, petal portion of the pendant will be made primarily of fused components. We will punch out silver discs that will then be roller printed for texture. I will then demonstrate how to make water casts that we will fused to the petals. With practice, one can learn to fuse multiple components together all the while keeping textures that have been applied prior. Fusing multiple joints minimizes the need for solder joints that would eventually show up during oxidation.  We will also work on bezel setting a cabochon. I believe I have come up with some unique ways of setting a cabochon that some students may want to add to their skill set.