Bring a new dimension to your designs with our Artisan Series. Each blank is individually cast resulting in a hand-wrought quality. These pieces differ from regular die cut blanks in several ways:
- 99% of our Artisan Blanks are Beaducation Originals!!!!
- Gauge: Most of these blanks are approximately 19-gauge thick resulting in a solid pendant that has a substantial feel to it.
- Surface: Due to the nature of cast objects, there are slight variations in the surface of the blanks. They are not smooth like our die-cut sheet metal blanks. To restore the original shine after oxidizing, they can be polished by hand or in a tumbler after stamping.
- Material: The copper blanks are a thick coat of copper plated over brass. The majority of the alloy is copper and the blanks can be soldered and enameled like pure copper. The silver plated blanks are .015mm of sterling silver plated over brass.
- Oxidation: The brass, copper and silver plated blanks do have a tendency to tarnish more rapidly than sterling silver. To slow down the tarnishing process after you have stamped, oxidized and polished the blank, you can apply a thin spray coating of an acrylic fixative to the surfaces. You can also apply a small amount of Renaissance Wax to the blank and buff gently. This will coat the piece and prevent rust.
