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How to Harden Sterling Silver
- 1). Grab your hammer. The quickest, and sometimes easiest way to harden sterling silver is by work hardening it. This means that the more you work with it and manipulate the metal, the harder it gets. This works best with sterling silver wire for jewelry because it manipulates easier than thick chunks. Beat it with a hammer, bend it, twist it, or stretch it, says the website Cool Tools.
- 2). Heat your oven to 600 degrees Fahrenheit if you don't want to twist or manipulate your sterling silver. This works for rings, or larger pieces that simply don't bend that easily. If your oven doesn't go up to 600 degrees, heat it as high as it will go.
- 3). Place the sterling silver in the oven for one hour. Then remove with an oven mit or potholders and let it air-cool completely. If the silver encases a valuable stone, make sure that stone can withstand the heat. If it went through a kiln previously, it will withstand the heat of your oven without any problems.
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