Hammered silver bangles are a simple and elegant classic. They look great in different widths or make a whole armful for a real boho style. Large silver bangles for ladies are perfect for making and personalising to give to friends and family. For a slightly different take, here’s how to make a trio of silver hammered bangles; two 2mm wide, one 3mm wide and a small ring to bind them together. Use our step-by-step guide on how to make hammered silver bangles, with guidance on the jewellery tools you’ll require and the techniques you’ll need to employ.
Step 1
Measure and mark 22cm lengths of your silver wire. 22cm will make a pure silver bangle of approximately 7cm diameter. Cut using a piercing saw and file the ends flat with a needle file. Smooth further with fine grade emery paper.
Step 2
Use half round pliers to bring the ends together neatly. Don’t worry about your hammered silver bangle being a perfect circle at this stage, but do check that you have a good, tight join. File with a flat sided needle file if it isn’t perfect at first!
Step 3
Flux the joint thoroughly and apply a pallion of medium solder. Solder the ends of the pure silver bangle together, remembering to heat the whole bangle, before rocking the heart across the join when nearing the solder melting point.
Step 4
Quench and pickle the hammered silver bangle. Clean up the joint using emery paper.
Step 5
Place the pure silver bangle on your mandrel and hammer all the way around using a ball pein or chasing hammer. It’s easiest and neatest to rotate the bangle and keep your hammer at a steady angle.
Place the pure silver bangle on a steel block or anvil, and hammer all around the side surface. Turn it over and repeat.
Repeat steps one to five with the other 2mm wire and the 3mm wire until you have formed all three silver hammered bangles.
Step 6
Take your 4cm piece of 3mm round wire and prepare exactly as you did for the other hammered silver bangles (steps one to four). This time, use easy solder.
Form the small hammered ring around a ring or jump ring mandrel, and hammer the sides.
Step 7
Once it is perfectly round, use a piercing saw to cut through your solder join. This may sound odd, but it’s the simplest way to ensure your binding ring is perfectly circular!
Step 8
Open the binding ring and place the larger silver hammered bangles into it. Hold the ring up with soldering pliers and Open the binding ring and place the larger silver hammered bangles into it. Hold the ring up with soldering pliers before using flux and applying easy solder. Alternatively, solder paste is excellent for jobs like this, as it’s great for sticking in place. You won’t need flux if using the paste, as it’s included in the mix. Solder the join.
Step 9
Quench the whole piece and clean the join of the binding ring. You may want to hammer the sides again to neaten it up.
Step 10
Pickle the whole piece, rinse and tumble polish well.
This will further work to harden the hammered silver bangles, as well as giving them a fantastic shine.
There you have it – a step-by-step guide on how to make hammered silver bangles, along with a list of all the tools you’ll need to make your pure silver bangle design. Looking to stock up on precious metal supplies? Take a look at all of the bullion supplies available from Cooksongold. Need to upgrade your tools? Check out our selection of expert jewellery tools. Want to learn more about silver jewellery making? Then let our guide teach everything you need to know.
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