What is Soft Solder Jewelry?

[This article is currently under maintenance]

Further reading: Guide to buying safe and quality soft solder jewelry | Soft solder jewelry care guide | Styling soft solder jewelry

You may have seen an emerging style of spiky jewelry on your social media, labelled "soft solder", "soft metal", "silver solder", "Tiffany method", or even just "spiky" jewelry.

The most common form of "soft solder" jewelry is a crystal, stone, shell, piece of glass, or any sort of object enclosed in a full bezel, with spiky prongs and protrusions that are rhythmic and organic.

How is this jewelry made, why does it look like this, and is it a good fit for me? In this article I'll explain the process myself and others use to make soft solder jewelry.

(NOTE: This is an informative article on the medium, NOT a tutorial. Fumes from metal oxides are toxic, and inhalation of such can lead to short- and long-term illness. Please consult proper guides if attempting.)

What is solder?

Solder (pronounced "sodder") is any low-melting alloy used for joining metals that are difficult to fuse together. It comes from the Latin word "solidare", to fasten together, or make solid. You may be familiar with the term from traditional jewelry making, electronics, stained glass, or plumbing. Yes, these all refer to the same "solder", though the composition of the alloy varies to meet the different requirements of these fields.

There are two broad categories of soldering: Hard, and Soft.

Hard Soldering

Soft Soldering

"Soft solder" jewelry

Should I wear soft solder jewelry?