What is a Niello bracelet?

Niello is the art of ornamenting metal surfaces that is thought to have originated with the Egyptians and spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. 900 silver, this fabulous Austro-Hungarian bangle is embellished with a fine checkerboard Niello pattern that is inlaid onto the entire outer surface.

How do you make Niello silver?

Making Niello

  1. In a conventional crucible, melt together 2 parts silver and 1 part copper, adding a small amount of borax as a flux.
  2. At the same time, melt 1 part lead in a steel ladle.
  3. Working under a fume hood with active ventilation, add powdered sulfur to the molten lead in generous amounts.

How do you clean Niello silver?

As a collector of Russian silver of all typs, my cleaning advice is: First wash the box in some dish washing solution with a soft toothbrush to delete the dirt and grease. After that polish it with cotton wool and some silver polish paste. Do not polish the gilded interior!

What is Niello on Siam jewelry?

Siam silver is officially called “Nielloware.” Niello is a black mixture of copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal. American soldiers who visited Thailand in the mid-20th century bought this jewelry for their ladies back home, making it a popular mid-century trend.

What is niello inlay?

Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens, and flows or is pushed into the engraved lines in the metal.

What is niello on Siam jewelry?

How is niello done?

What is Niello jewelry?

Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. Periods when engraving filled in with niello has been used to make full images with figures have been relatively few, but include some significant achievements.

What does Siam sterling stamp mean?

Siam sterling jewelry is sterling silver jewelry made in Thailand and depicts the characters of mythology and from the Ramakien (the Thailand national story) as well as the story of Mekhala and Ramasoon. It was manufactured with two different combinations – Sterling / Niello and Sterling / Enamel.

Is Thai silver hallmarked?

The vast majority of silverware in Thailand does not possess any reign or maker’s mark or other indicator as to date or place of manufacture. Most of the marks found are Chinese “chop marks”, stamped onto the underside of the silver object, perhaps with the aim of validating authenticity.

How is Niello done?

What does repousse work look like?

Repoussé, method of decorating metals in which parts of the design are raised in relief from the back or the inside of the article by means of hammers and punches; definition and detail can then be added from the front by chasing or engraving.

What is the meaning of the word niello?

Niello(noun) a metallic alloy of a deep black color. Niello(noun) the art, process, or method of decorating metal with incised designs filled with the black alloy.

How is niello used to decorate small objects?

The excess niello is then removed by scraping until the filled channels are clearly visible, and finally the surface is polished. The contrast of the black niello against the bright silver surface produces an attractive decorative effect. Objects decorated with niello, called nielli, are usually small in scale.

What kind of alloy is niello made of?

Niello, black metallic alloy of sulfur with silver, copper, or lead that is used to fill designs that have been engraved on the surface of a metal (usually silver) object. Niello is made by fusing together silver, copper, and lead and then mixing the molten alloy with sulfur.

What was niello used for in medieval times?

Niello continued to be widely used for simple ornament on small pieces, though at the top end goldsmiths were more likely to use black enamel to fill inscriptions on rings and the like. Niello was also used on plate armour, in this case over etched steel, as well as weapons.