Reticulation Silver

Once upon a time I had promised to photograph a sterling silver ring I was working on because it had a reticulation silver accent. This little number was part of a series I was exploring whose concept was based loosely around the Meiji Shrine gates in Tokyo. Sterling silver, reticulation silver, and resin.

Reticulation Silver

"Specially formulated reticulation silver alloy contains a lower percentage of silver and a higher percentage of copper (80/20), making it ideal for reticulation." - RioGrande When you heat the surface of reticulation silver (after the depletion guild process is complete), basically the middle "melts" first, causing a ripple effect on the surface. (Notice the ripples, waves and peaks in all of the above pieces of silver...no two are ever the same.) Done effectively, reticulation presents a beautifully patterned surface finish. I have posted a few exmaples of reticulated silver above and as soon as mine is finished I'll be sure to post!

Image sources: The top two and lower right are designed by Kaelin Design, and the lower left image is by Brittany Golden.