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> Tom Ferrero Studio > Studio > Stamping
Stamping |  | | | Stamping a pattern onto silver in the studio |
To create the intricate patterns seen throughout many of my jewelry pieces I use the old technique of Chasing or Stamping. Stamping is done with steel tools made of square rod. Even before the pattern can be indented into the gold or silver I first need to make my own tools. I typically cut a 3 foot rod of steel into 4 inch lengths and file the ends flush. Next I draw the design of the stamp on the end of the rod and begin slowly carving it out of the steel with hand files and a saw. Once the design has been carved the tool is then polished and heat treated to make it strong. Now it can be used for stamping.
The patterns I create are not preconceived. They emerge naturally and as each new stamp is added the design evolves. First the steel tool is placed directly on the gold or silver on top of a steel block as seen in the photo. Then I carefully strike the tool with a hammer creating the indent in the metal. With an assortment of tools and arranging the stamps in different ways on the gold or silver a new jewelry pattern is created. Often after I discover a pattern I like I will then make a mold of it so I can reproduce it perfectly every time. (See the Daisy, Snowflake, Callisto, Sunflower and Scallop patterned jewelry).
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> Tom Ferrero Studio > Studio > Stamping
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