Silver Design Techniques

Embossing: a method of tooling the silver to ornament or refine the details. Raised designs might include leaves, flowers, figures and animals. The designs are made by placing smooth silver on a bed of soft wood or wax and using specially made punches, and hammers, shaping it from the back. The technique is also known as repousse or “pushed out.”

Chasing: a series of small punches used to give texture to embossing work

Piercing: a design method practiced since the 18th century, piercing is a method of making delicate openwork holes in patterns using a fret tool, which creates precise, parallel lines. A time consuming and expensive practice, the process was superceded by the invention of the fly punch.

Engraving: engraving requires that small amounts of silver are cut away, creating designs on the surface

Gilding: all or part of the finished piece of silver is coated with gold, a technique known as vermeil which is French for silver-gilt.

Enameling: a method of coating all or a part of a silver object with a brightly hued molten glass, a style that goes in and out of fashion.