Saswa Blog- Jewellery, Watches and Gifts - handmade-jewellery tag

Caring for your Mexican silver jewellery

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:43:00 GMT

You have your beautiful jewellery, you love it and wear it at every opportunity. Good, so you should! Surprisingly, the oils in the skin actually help to keep tarnishing to a minimum. However, it is important to be mindful that hairspray and perfume can affect the silver, so always put your jewellery on after applying.

Unfortunately, the elements aren't kind to silver, and high quality Mexican jewellery can reflect this simply because of the higher percentage of silver content. It can lose its luster from exposure to sunshine, humidity and the open air. When you're not wearing it, it's best to keep your Mexican silver in a sealed bag, safe from outside influences. The benefit of this, and keeping your other jewellery well kept and not piled up together, is that the risk of scratches is greatly reduced.

These are just a few things to think about when thinking about your Mexican silver jewellery, but don't forget the most important thing: wear it, love it, enjoy it.

How is Mexican jewellery made?

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:23:00 GMT

Mexico has been a rich vein of silver for centuries, but regained its spark in the 1920's. Since this time the skills and quality of jewellery production has evolved to include a myriad of different styles and influences. This has helped to create truly individual and breathtaking pieces. Despite the absorption of creative techniques and designs over the years, the jewellery is unmistakably Mexican. Elaborate twists and folds create astounding shapes.

So how do they do it?

Rediscovering the art of wax casting, many jewellery makers in Mexico have been able produce finely detailed and exquisite silver pieces. A wax model of a piece is designed with all details and intricacies carved into the wax. The piece is then enclosed into a plaster mold ensuring that channels, or sprues, lead out of the mold. A main channel is also made to pour the silver into.

The molten silver is then poured into the mold, the wax melts away, and the silver fills the space left by the wax model. The mould is opened, the strands of sprue are cut away, and you have a perfect replica of the original sculpted piece. Think about those Airfix model kits and how the pieces are in plastic frames; it's pretty much the same principle.

Israeli Jewellery - Why is it Special?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:12:00 GMT

You've probably noticed the stunning pieces of Israeli jewellery here on our online store. They are certainly stunning, with very intricate designs and beautiful use of precious stones. So where do these designs and styles come from? To understand more, we need to take a step back into Israel's jewellery making past.

Israel has quite a history of jewellery making. Two beads, currently housed at the Natural History Museum, have been proved to be the oldest components of jewellery in the world. Found at Skhul, these beads have been dated as being around 100,000 years old. That's quite some lineage!

Israel has incorporated many different cultures in its history, and this is always in flux. Over the years, people have come from almost all corners of the globe; Jewish, Islamic and Christian traditions have become intertwined into Israeli culture.

One of the side effects of this is a merging of influences, which affect art, literature, music, food and fashion. Israeli jewellery manufacturers have also incorporated these influences over hundreds of years. When in the hands, literally, of these skilled Israeli jewellery makers, pieces of exquisite and unique beauty are created, and no two pieces are exactly the same.

To view our collection of beautiful Israeli jewellery, click here.