Dog Star Silver is handmade in Belfast by Louisa McCartney and is inspired by the nature and landscape of Northern Ireland – everything from historic landmarks to the coastline – with a little bit of stargazing thrown in there too! To make her pendants and earrings Louisa uses metal clay, magic stuff formed using tiny particles of reclaimed and recycled fine silver. She uses the clay, that is malleable to begin with, to pick up textures from leaves and fabric and lace she collects, before cutting and shaping each item. Then once each piece is dry the alchemy begins! As they’re fired in a kiln the organic binders contained in the clay burn off leaving a product that is 99.9% pure fine silver. Polishing comes next – to bring out the super shiny gleam that you only get with fine silver – and then oxidation using liver of sulphur, which can result in dramatic dark shades or dazzling iridescent areas of green and purple. Louisa also uses gold and black acrylic ink on some designs. This entire process takes place in her kitchen in Belfast, so it really is handmade from scratch, and each piece is slightly different and completely unique to its owner! All jewellery is finished off by attaching the pendants to sterling silver chains and the earrings to hand-made sterling earring wires. As well as the silver clay, all jewellery boxes and postage materials are eco friendly.
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Dog Star Silver is handmade in Belfast by Louisa McCartney and is inspired by the nature and landscape of Northern Ireland – everything from historic landmarks to the coastline – with a little bit of stargazing thrown in there too!
To make her pendants and earrings Louisa uses metal clay, magic stuff formed using tiny particles of reclaimed and recycled fine silver. She uses the clay, that is malleable to begin with, to pick up textures from leaves and fabric and lace she collects, before cutting and shaping each item.
Then once each piece is dry the alchemy begins! As they’re fired in a kiln the organic binders contained in the clay burn off leaving a product that is 99.9% pure fine silver.
Polishing comes next – to bring out the super shiny gleam that you only get with fine silver – and then oxidation using liver of sulphur, which can result in dramatic dark shades or dazzling iridescent areas of green and purple. Louisa also uses gold and black acrylic ink on some designs.
This entire process takes place in her kitchen in Belfast, so it really is handmade from scratch, and each piece is slightly different and completely unique to its owner!
All jewellery is finished off by attaching the pendants to sterling silver chains and the earrings to hand-made sterling earring wires.
As well as the silver clay, all jewellery boxes and postage materials are eco friendly.