Maltese Filigree Sterling Silver Earrings with part Gold Overlay 35mm - Handmade

These Stunning Filigree Earrings are handmade in fine Sterling Silver and finished with Part Gold Overlay.

Size: Each Earring is approx 35mm x 13mm

Filigree:

The Maltese population is well known to have mastered a number of trades and crafts along the years and definitely Filigree work is amongst the oldest crafts mastered by our local craftsmen. Like lace, everything is done by hand, calling for great manual dexterity and making minimal use of machinery. The prerequisites in this area are manual dexterity, patience and experience.

Raw material in this trade is imported mainly from Italy and Germany as Malta does not have this raw material at hand. This raw material, which is imported as grains, is melted into bars and this is drawn into different gauges of wire thread. The thicker wire is mainly used to produce the frame, whilst the thinner and finer gauge wire is cut into smaller sections and is twisted by means of tweezers to form different shapes and patterns.

These patterns are placed side by side within the outer frame, and are then soldered together with each other and with the main frame. Soldering tarnishes the silver where heat is applied; This necessitates that the finished product is initially immersed in hot boiling water to which a few drops of Sulphuric acid have been added. Before the products are made available for purchase they are hallmarked hereby guaranteeing their origin and finesse as far as purity is concerned.