Childhood’s End Gallery has a great selection of jewelry by Jeff McKenzie, including his new line of reticulated silver.
Reticulation, which is used exclusively by studio jewelers, produces a ridged or ripply surface through controlled heating. The ridges of a reticulated surface are more pronounced than any other surface treatment. In indirect light, the ridges of reticulation cast shadows, like those thrown by mountains in the late afternoon sun. And just as mountain shadows change with the shifting sun, the shadows on a reticulated surface shift as the wearer moves.
Reticulation permits the studio jeweler to create unique textures on silver or gold – but it takes a deft hand on the torch to get the desired results.
Reticulation usually involves heating a sheet of gold or silver alloy up to 10 times to oxidize the copper at the surface, then pickling to remove the oxide and leave a thin layer of pure metal. This process – called depletion gilding – results in different melting temperatures between the surface and the interior of the sheet. Once the sheet is gilded, it is heated with a torch: The alloy in the interior flows before the surface metal does. The result is that the surface wrinkles, something like the “skin” on hot chocolate – only more appetizing.
To see more of Jeff’s jewelry, click on the link at the bottom of this post.
Oxidized & Reticulated Sterling Silver Ring with 18kt Gold and Diamond
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