The beautiful shades of green that swirl, bend, blossom, and bulls-eye in malachite almost demand to be set in sterling silver. Because malachite is a copper mineral, however, combining it with sterling is a recipe for tarnish. Although there are chemical treatments for jewelry that resist tarnish, they do not last forever, and as a studio jeweler I try to remain as much of a purist as I can. The development of Argentium Silver has made it a pleasure for me to work with this lovely color combination,  adding just a touch of gold.

Required Materials: 22-gauge square half-hard Argentium wire, 22-gauge square, soft Argentium wire, 20-gauge half-round, half-hard Argentium wire, 24-gauge half-round, half-hard 14K gold-filled wire, Leaf shaped malachite cabochon, 1/4" quilter’s tape, Ultra fine point marker, Ruler.

Tools Needed: Flat nose pliers, small double barrel bail pliers, angle flush cutters, round nose pliers, pin vise.

Techniques Used: Wire wrapping.

Originally Published: Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist July 2009