Taxco Oxidized Silver Cuff with Baroque Style

This is a very stunning cuff bracelet that is handcrafted then oxidized and raised embellishment polished. The workmanship is of high caliber and once you see the eclectic styling you will want this cuff in your jewelry collection. Every piece is guaranteed to be unique and warranted to be handcrafted; this makes it one of a kind.

To craft this cuff bracelet silversmiths use an overlaid embellishment technique. The first silver surface is oxidized using sulfur solutions and the ornamentation is then crafted in a lighter shade of silver that may or may not be oxidized. Overlay makes the silver color of the embellishments stand out. The curves and spheres in this overlaid design give this cuff bracelet intriguing elements that will go well with any wardrobe style. Unusually crafted with a large center piece, the bracelet tapers and the cuff style itself is open for ease of wearing on any size wrist.

You can always order this silver cuff bracelet with a smaller or larger inside circumference to fit your arm and wrist. As a note, the oxidized silver cuff bracelet is two and one eighth inches wide at the centerpiece and has an inside circumference of seven inches. The interior of the bracelet is silver rubbed to a high sheen and a smooth texture.

Oxidation

Taxco, Mexico is the heart of Mexican silver jewelry crafting, silver mining, and tourists looking for silver bargains. Tourism is the main economic activity in Taxco, Mexico and tourists come to purchase silver, travel though the surrounding countryside and view the colonial construction that is still standing.

Silversmithing was invigorated in Taxco by American William Spratling who came to Taxco in the 1920s and hired artisans, craftsmen, and created a huge silver jewelry making industry.
Sterling silver jewelry is highly popular in Taxco shops, and oxidized silver is often used to describe sterling silver pieces that are treated to make these pieces look aged and old. Oxidizing sterling silver causes the silver itself to end up with a dark patina that consists of a thin layer of silver oxide.

Sterling silver jewelry is originally shiny in color, but many people prefer the dark and smoky color of oxidized silver. Oxidized silver can range in color from light gray to solid black, and when you polish oxidized silver the raised surface actually becomes shiny while the recessed surfaces retain their dark color. This creates an interesting variegated effect.

To form a piece that is oxidized, you need to expose silver or sterling silver to sulfur. Many craftsmen use sulfur potash to oxidize their silver jewelry. Potash which is also listed as “liver of sulfur” is mixed with water, then the silver piece is put into the sulfur mixture for a set amount of time until it reaches the a level of dark that is desirable. The jewelry piece is then taken out, rinsed and polished.

Geseell Grant -  Geseell@avilasterling.com