Argetam

8 pieces

Rings and Bands

Forged and seamed bands in sterling and Britannia silver, sized to the finger rather than to a chart.

Rings and Bands on a dark ground

Every band here starts as a straight length of square or rectangular wire. It is bent round a triblet, closed until the two ends meet with no light between them, hard soldered, then trued on the mandrel and worked back to round with a hammer. That is the whole method. It has not changed much in four hundred years and I have not found a better one.

Widths are given as the finished width across the top of the band. Thickness matters as much as width: a 3 mm band at 1.2 mm thick feels flimsy and will go oval in a year of wear, so nothing here is thinner than 1.4 mm. A wide band needs to be a little thinner or it becomes uncomfortable, which is why the 8 mm band is 1.5 mm rather than 2 mm.

Plain Band, 3 mm in sterling silver, shown on a dark ground

Plain Band, 3 mm

The starting point, and the piece I make most often. Three millimetres wide, 1.5 mm thick, with a slightly domed outside and the inside edges softened so it slides on without catching. The planished surface holds a low sheen and takes the scuffs of daily wear without looking damaged.

MaterialSterling silver 925
FinishPlanished
Weight2.5 g
Detail3 mm wide, 1.5 mm thick, D section. Made to your size.
£180Made to order
Wide Band, 6 mm in sterling silver, shown on a dark ground

Wide Band, 6 mm

Six millimetres of flat band with a very slight curve to the outside face, finished with a fine abrasive so it reads matte rather than shiny. Satin is a forgiving surface on a wide ring, where a mirror polish would show every mark within a week.

MaterialSterling silver 925
FinishSatin
Weight5.8 g
Detail6 mm wide, 1.6 mm thick, flat section with softened edges. Made to your size.
£245Made to order
Forged Tapered Band in sterling silver, shown on a dark ground

Forged Tapered Band

Forged from round wire so the metal spreads where it is struck. It runs about 5 mm across the top and narrows to 2.5 mm underneath, which puts the weight where you see it and keeps the palm side thin. Forging work-hardens the silver as it goes, so this band stays round longer than a bent one.

MaterialSterling silver 925
FinishPlanished
Weight3.7 g
Detail5 mm at the top tapering to 2.5 mm. Made to your size.
£265Made to order
Hammered Band, 5 mm in sterling silver, shown on a dark ground

Hammered Band, 5 mm

Struck all over with a domed hammer face so the surface breaks the light into small facets. No two are identical and I do not try to make them so. The texture hides wear better than any other finish I use, which makes it a sensible choice for hands that work.

MaterialSterling silver 925
FinishHammered
Weight4.6 g
Detail5 mm wide, 1.6 mm thick. Made to your size.
£230Made to order
Britannia Wide Band, 8 mm in britannia silver, shown on a dark ground

Britannia Wide Band, 8 mm

Britannia silver is softer and whiter than sterling and it takes a mirror without the faint grey cast you sometimes get from 925. It also marks more easily. I make this one because the colour is worth it, but I say plainly that it will not stay flawless.

MaterialBritannia silver 958
FinishMirror
Weight7.2 g
Detail8 mm wide, 1.5 mm thick, flat section. Made to your size.
£340Made to order
Oxidised Line Ring in sterling silver, shown on a dark ground

Oxidised Line Ring

A 4 mm band with a single line cut round the centre, the line darkened with a chemical patina and the rest brought back to satin. The dark line will lighten over a year or two of wear. That is expected. Bring it back and I will re-darken it for nothing.

MaterialSterling silver 925
FinishOxidised and satin
Weight3.9 g
Detail4 mm wide, 1.6 mm thick. Currently in sizes L, N and P.
£215From stock
Stacking Set of Three in sterling silver, shown on a dark ground

Stacking Set of Three

Three 2 mm bands, one of each surface, made to the same size so they sit together without a gap. Sold as a set because they are made as a set and finishing three at once is what keeps the price where it is. The weight given is for all three.

MaterialSterling silver 925
FinishPlanished, satin, hammered
Weight4.6 g
DetailThree bands, each 2 mm wide and 1.4 mm thick. Made to your size.
£320Made to order
Signet, Flat Oval in sterling silver, shown on a dark ground

Signet, Flat Oval

A 14 by 11 mm oval head soldered to a tapered shank, the head left plain and polished. I do not engrave, so if you want it cut you will need an engraver, and I would rather you knew that before you ordered than after.

MaterialSterling silver 925
FinishMirror face, satin shank
Weight8.2 g
Detail14 by 11 mm head, 3 mm thick. Shank tapers 4.5 mm to 3 mm. Made to your size.
£420Made to order

Ring sizes are UK letters. I can make any size from F to Z+3. If you do not know your size, say so when you write and I will post you a set of plastic sizers to keep.