Silver Cuttlefish Casting – An ancient sustainable technique!

Have you ever heard or indeed wondered how you cast silver into Cuttlefish bone to create a fab ‘one-of-a-kind’ piece of jewellery?

Plus it’s an age old sustainable technique, so I’m here to give you some insight as to how we do it at Julia Thompson Jewellery HQ and how you can get involved and try it for yourself!

 

The Common Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis. Image credit: © Tennessee Aquarium.

There’s no doubt about it that Cuttlefish are amazing creatures, and when they come to the end of their lives in the ocean, cuttlebone can be widely found washed up on beaches around the world.

It is therefore a waste product and free resource that can be harnessed to create amazing three dimensional pieces of solid precious metal jewellery.

Cuttlebone has been used as a mold making and casting material by jewellers for hundreds of years.

 

The soft fine multiple layers of bone within the hard exterior shell can be easily carved.  It also compresses brilliantly well when an object is pressed into the fine layers, holding it’s form and shape once the object has been removed.

The bone can also withstand high temperatures such as molten silver and gold allowing a near perfect casting of the carved design or pressed in object!

Want to try your hand at Cuttlefish Bone Casting?

 

If you would like to learn more, I run a fun and exclusive 3 hour workshop from my professional Silver Studio where you get to experiment with hand carving a unique design in recycled silver scrap through the medium of cuttlefish bone.

Leave with a handmade piece of ethical precious metal designer jewellery that you’ve made using this age old sustainable technique!

Advance booking is essential as places are limited to a maximum of 4 people per workshop thus ensuring everybody gets an excellent amount of tuition and stays safe in the workshop.

 

Our next Cuttlefish Casting Workshop is on Saturday 16th March 2024.

“The cuttlefish casting workshop was an amazing day. If ever you get chance to spend time at Julia’s workshops then do it – you won’t regret it”

– Y. FROEHLICH

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