It seems a simple task but it starts with melting fine (pure) silver and adding 75 parts in a thousand of copper in order to make the alloy, Sterling Silver 925…. Then the poured ingots are rolled in a rolling mill where they are squeezed into thinner and thinner square bars till they can fit into the graduated round holes of a draw plate where they are drawn into round wire. The rolling and drawing process requires that the metal be annealed (softened by heating to almost red-hot), as the rolling and drawing process work hardens the metal and makes it impossible to work any further’ without it becoming brittle and cracking.

‘Then the chain making can begin! The wire is wrapped around an especially shaped mandrel to form a continuous coil that is then cut with the jewellers saw to make the individual links.

‘The links are joined together and each link fluxed and soldered and finally the catch is made and the chain polished and patina induced with liver of sulpher and polished again…. 
Some are charm chains/bracelets and the charm masters are made , sand cast and linked onto the chains. All in all a very time consuming project and should only ever be undertaken by someone such as myself, who loves the process and would not hav it any other way! It’s why I’m a Metalsmith!