Special manufacturing method - Niello technique of silver tableware and silver cutlery
The technology for producing silver tableware, silver cutlery, and silver jewelry is unique. All products are manufactured using traditional folk art methods, in accordance with the basic techniques of the old masters.
In addition to the more well-known technique of enamelling, nielloing (Latin nigellum = blackish) is another colouring technique in which, in this case, a black-blue material (niello) is melted onto metal.
1. Niello technique
1.1 Process No. 1
Jewelry making begins with the creation of its form. Through various processes, a piece of sterling silver 925 takes on the shape of elegant tableware, cutlery, and souvenirs.
1.2 Process No. 2
A design created by the artist is then cut out of the surface of the silver product using a special chisel. Special engraving for the niello technique is a manual, very careful, and delicate process on which the quality and expressiveness of the future niello pattern depend.
1.3 Process No. 3
A special niello mass, resembling a dark gray stone, is ground into a powder, moistened, and applied in an even layer to the surface with an engraved pattern. The silverware, silver cutlery, or silver jewelry is calcined in a fire, and the niello mass, as it melts, fills all the recesses created by the engraving cutter.
1.4 Process No. 4
During firing, the niello mass is firmly fused to the base metal, sterling silver, creating a hard, dark coating that is then removed in several steps until a black pattern appears on the silver. After a painstaking grinding and polishing process, a smooth surface is created, revealing the niello pattern.
1.5 Process No. 5
Finally, the surface of the silverware or silver cutlery is smoothed with a special tool—a polisher—to achieve a mirror shine. At the same time, polishing is done selectively, leaving a matte background within the color pattern, which significantly enriches its imaginative perception.
The unique Niello technology for the production of silver cutlery & silver tableware or silver jewelry and the elaborate handcraft make it possible to create high-quality and exclusive works of art.