1.Use the ruler to measure and mark five H” ×
1” rectangle pieces of 18-gauge sterling sheet
silver.
2.Using a jeweler’s saw or tin snips, cut the
18-gauge sterling sheet silver into five H” ×
1” rectangles (if you will be making the ear-
ring and pendant projects, you may want to
cut all of the rectangle silver pieces needed
for the other projects and texture them all at
one time).
3.Place the five H” × 1” sterling silver rectangle
pieces onto the sticky side of a piece of
masking tape. This will help you to hold the
silver rectangles in place while you are tex-
turing them; it will also help to keep your
fingertips at a safe distance to avoid hitting
them with the hammer.
4.Place the piece of masking tape with the
silver rectangles sticky side down onto a
concrete block or landscape paver.5.Gently strike the tape covered silver rectan-
gles with a hammer. When you strike them,
use a firm strike; there is no need to hit
them very hard. You can achieve the desired
texture more easily with multiple soft strikes
rather than fewer hard strikes. Lift the tape
frequently and check the progress of the tex-
turing, making sure that the entire surface
of the silver rectangles is getting a uniform
texture. The surface will look similar to
sandpaper if you are using a concrete block.
When you achieve the desired texture,
remove the silver rectangles from the
masking tape.