What is a handmade Money Clip?
They are not mass produced. Each piece is made individually by a craftsman and every one is slightly different, making them a piece of art.
What do I get when I order a handmade Money Clip from Rick Sindeband at Skystone and Silver?
You get a solid piece of Sterling Silver or 14k Gold that has been hand cut from a large sheet of metal.The piece is flattened with a hammer and hallmarked with the artist's mark and a quality stamp,the edges are rounded with a file. If the Clip is to be appliqued or overlayed (that is artwork made and attached to the clip by Silver soldering), then the clip is bent and prepared for soldering. If the Clip is to be cutout or see-thru, then the metal is cut out to make the design before the clip is bent. No soldering is necessary in this process.
If you are ordering a design that must be attached to the clip, this artwork has to be drawn to scale so that when cut out of Sterling Silver, Brass, Copper or Gold, it will fit properly on the Clip. This cutting only involves the use of a hand jewelers saw and a tiny drill. Artwork could be cast from a master model and attached to the clip. You will see most artwork for clips is made this way. I currently only have one design that I cast; most in my line of clips are fabricated from scratch. If you are ordering a cutout design, I drill the holes in the proper place and cut
everything out that is not wanted. Then while the clip is still flat, I add any stamping or line work. This is done with a little tool called a stamp. This stamp is struck with a hammer at just the right force to give the desired effect. Most of the stamps that I use are handmade out of steel. The Clip is bent before soldering and after being cutout. If soldered, the clip must cool and then it is put in a hot acid bath called Pickle. After the pickle, the polishing begins. If oxidizing is needed, it is applied at this time. Oxidizing gives some black highlights to the piece and looks great when done properly. Polishing is done in a two step process. A pre-polish which helps remove fine scratches and a final polish for the finishing luster. Most of the Money Clips you see are not made in this fashion and are made by machinery. A few of the clips you see are pre-made and castings soldered on top. I look at clips all the time and many are nickel silver or German silver or are plated. There is NO SILVER in nickel silver or German Silver. The myth that only nickel silver holds a spring is false. If Sterling is heated and cooled properly, it has great spring and will last a long time. I currently have over 250 handmade designs, more than any other artist who is currently making Money Clips anywhere in the world. People call every day with ideas about new clips or new artwork for clips, everything from company logos to sayings.
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