Metal Upcycled and Recycled

Back in 2014, when I learned the basics of jewelry making, I was taught on scrap sheet metal. This is not an uncommon starting point when starting out and trying to keep practice work economical. However, In an effort to reduce my own impact on what can be rather destructive mining, I have continued to seek metal I can upcycle. Here are a few forms I use.

Scrap sheet metal

My initial stock came from scrap sellers in Yerevan, Armenia. In Harare, Zimbabwe a scrap dealer sold me an entire copper water heater I am still working through. Here in Tokyo, Japan a friend gave me some thick copper wire that was being tossed during a renovation project.

Vintage Silverware

Using spoon handles for earrings and rings is nothing new. My signature delicious monster leaves and ginkgo leaves come from the bowl of the spoon. Butter knives are turned to my balancing rocks and silver plated copper plates yield to a beautiful warm leaves like the changing season.

Recycled Dustings

As I work my jewelry, I save my scrap bits of sheet and every bit of silver dust. Metal can continuously be formed and reformed with fire. Even this tiny dustings can be fused together or reformed into ingots and sheet metal.

Sustainable Suppliers

I do purchase things like findings and chain. In some circumstance, like my current brass, I need to subsidize until I find more scrap. This is when I go to companies like Rio Grande who uses recycled metal at their mills.