About
Loot Box Jewelry
by Amber Van Ausdall
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The Company
Frenquently Asked Questions
PaymentPayment is accepted through PayPal ... Fast, easy, secure ... you don't even need an account with them! Full payment is required within 24 hours of purchase ... if payment is not received, I reserve the right to cancel the transaction ...If for some reason you cannot make the payment, contact me, we may be able to work something out ... Colorado residents will be charged 7.6% sales tax ...ShippingI ship nearly everyday, excluding weekends and holidays via USPS ... Your purchase will be sent within 7-10 days of received payment ... If you would like delivery confirmation, insurance, or expedited shipping, let me know, we can work this out ... extra charges will apply ... International orders are gladly accepted!Shipping PricesUnited States $4 Canada $5UK $6Australia $6Refunds and ExchangesI want you to LOVE your Loot Box loot! That said, please read the description carefully for size information... especially for rings... If you truly are not happy with your purchase, email/call me within 5 days, and I'll see what I can do about a refund/exchange... I would expect you to pay for shipping ... If your loot is damaged when you receive it ... email / phone me immediately (720-351-1201) and I'll remedy the situation ASAP ... Custom orders cannot be returned ...Additional Policies and FAQsIf you see a piece that you like but the size is all wrong, I will gladly work with you to build a custom piece just for you. Depending on the adjustment needed, extra charges may apply. Custom Orders will be shipped within 2 weeks of payment ... The silver I use is always .925, never plated. Gold real 14k, 22k or 24k (this is noted in the product description) copper is real copper, I can use a sealant on it to preserve the "shininess" of it. the sealant is similar to clear nail polish, only jewelers grade... let me know if this intrests you.I try to respond to all emails and phone messages within 48 hours of receiving them. If for some reason you feel I've missed your message (ie. not responded within this time frame), please feel free to write again. Thanks so much!
The Tale
The Tale of the Loot Box
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Once upon a time, in December 2002, I was shopping online for a few select loved ones. As I was browsing vast collections of beaded gemstone jewelry, I began to think to myself, "I could do that." "No, really, I could do that!" "It can't be that hard. I could do that." Then, finally I decided, "Fine! I'll do that!"Loot Box Jewelry was established February 5, 2003. Armed with a vague understanding of business, a decent knowledge of gemstones, some beaded skills picked up in high school, a set of jewelry pliers ans a naive gleefulness, I proceeded to create jewelry.Using commercial components, I was designing and creating limited edition necklaces made of precious and semi-precious stones and Thai Hill Tribe silver beads and findings. I was able to design and create what I do beleive were some darn swanky peices of jewelry over the next couple of years. I was incorporating other people's components into my own products and marketing and selling them to some success. It really wasn't that hard. But I still was not quite satisfied.The Eureka Moment - Crystaline Steel, Welding and "Whacking"Loot Box Jewelry really became what it is today because of a random conversation with my brother, Bryan in the summer of 2005. Bryan was working as a marine mechanic and was describing metal fatigue in boat engines and the crystline structure of steel. Before this day, I had never really thought much about metal. In fact I quite naively considered most metal, especially seel to be a solid, as in "what you see on the outside is what's inside." That's why they call it solid - right?With a glint in his eye, Bryan then proceeded to rock my world by showing me a fractured transmission gear. The rough, broken metal was "crystalized." One could actually see the crystaline structure of the solid steel. That was the exact moment I fell head over heels in love with metal. During that visit, Bryan taught me to weld using a wire feed MIG welder. By learning some guidelines and working with the nature of the materials and process, I was able to produce a couple of tables that I enjoy to this day. A few weeks later I was attempting to design my new autumn collection of gemstone jewelry, but could not get the vision of the metal crystal out of my head. I spied some heavy gauge copper wire Bryan had given me and thought to my self "what would happen to thisif I whacked it with a hammer?" A crude simple copper bracelet was created. And that was it. I was hooked. I was going to incorporate metalwork into my jewelry.I spent the better part of the next few months exploring the astounding nature of non-ferrous metals, pouring over Tim McCright's Complete Metalsmith book trying to understnad the molecular structure and various states and characteristics of silver, copper and gold. My newely purchased trusty acetylene torch, Gertie, and I spent hours flowing into days melting, fusing, reticulating, cooling and forging every peice of silver, copper and gold I could get my hands on. Just to see what happened, how the metal would behave. It was magic to see my first "oil slick" as the silver began to melt under Gertie's flame. I imagined how the molecular structure was reacting as it was formed, heated, forged, reticulated, granulated, soldered, buffed and polished. I was beginning to understand metal as a medium. Today, I design and create my own unique products, incorporating components I create. It is much more satisfying! To this day the manipulation of the metals is still one of my favorite parts of my job. I learn a little more each day and have learned to respect the materials and the process. It really isn't that hard. It just takes a lot of time and patience to perfect the skills.I beleive in the natural beauty of the metals I work with. I do my best to keep my designs simple to showcase the pure beauty of silver, copper and gold. With a few technical mediums thrown in to keep me entertaind and challenged.
The Artist
The Artist
My name is Amber Van Ausdall. I am a 4th generation Colorado artisan and entrepreneur. As a teenager I knew I wanted to be an artist and I wanted to own my own business. It was a family tradition! I thought photography was my medium. I studied photography, history and art history in college, but school was not for me and I still did not know what to do with my life. I have worked in a wide variety of positions in an eclectic collection of industries. I have worked in a bakery, as a life insurance office slave, served a brief retail stint, worked in the hospitality industry in restaurants and hotels serving and managing banquets and providing room service. I have been a patient coordinator at a pharmacy, database developer and web designer and developer. I began my jewelry business and career part-time in 2003. My studio began in my tiny apartment living room and grew to consume my kitchen and outdoor deck (Cold in winter!) I finally made it my full time profession in 2007. I can still hardly believe that I now get to work full-time designing and hand crafting uniquely inspired jewelry pieces by forging and fusing silver, copper and gold!
The Markets
The Markets
You can find my jewelry at several galleries and boutiques including:Trimble Court Artisans118 Trimble Court (Old Town)Fort Collins, Colorado 80524970-221-0051Mountain Living Studio741 Manitou AvenueManitou Springs, CO 80829-1809(719) 685-0225Wholesale opportunities are always welcome.Loot Box Jewelry participates in several art and craft events along the Front Range of Colorado. The Loot Box sells direct at private trunk shows in homes and businesses along the Front Range of Colorado. Contact us for details and to schedule yours.The Loot Box sells online through our website www.lootbox.com and through www.lootbox.etsy.com.
The Materials
The Materials
My primary materials are metals including:Silver.999 Fine Silver (99.9% pure silver)Sterling Silver .925 fine (92.5% pure silver w/7.5% copperGold24K (.999 Fine) Gold (99.9% pure)22K (.917 Fine) Gold (91.7% pure)14K (.500 Fine) Yellow Gold (50% fine gold, 50% alloy (copper, silver or other alloy metals))CopperThis is a pure metal, not an alloy.
Pure GOLD, SILVER and COPPER are Face-centered cubic crystal structures
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The Silver
The Silver
Crystalline SilverFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag (Latin: argentum) and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal. The metal occurs naturally in its pure, free form (native silver), and as an alloy with gold and other metals. Most silver is produced as a by-product of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining.Silver has long been valued as a precious metal, and it is used to make ornaments, jewelry, high-value tableware, utensils (hence the term silverware), and currency coins. Today, silver metal is also used in electrical contacts and conductors and in mirrors.Pure silver is a very ductile and malleable (slightly harder than gold) metal with a brilliant white metallic luster that can take a high degree of polish.Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925.Patination or Tarnish Chemicaly, silver is not very reactive—it does not react with oxygen or water at ordinary temperatures, so does not easily form a silver oxide. However, other metals in the alloy, usually copper, may react with gasses in the air. As the purity of the silver decreases, the “problem” of tarnishing increases.Several products have been developed for the purpose of polishing silver that serve to remove sulfur from the metal without damaging or warping it. Because harsh polishing and buffing can permanently damage and devalue a piece of antique silver, valuable items are typically hand-polished to preserve the unique patinas of older pieces.I employ an accelerated process of oxidation on some of my designs to produce distinct coloration by chemically changing the metallic surface itself.
Crystalline Silver
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The Gold
The Gold
GoldFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaGold is the most malleable and ductile of all metals; a single gram can be beaten into a sheet of 1 square meter, or an ounce into 300 square feet. Gold leaf can be beaten thin enough to become translucent. Gold readily creates alloys with many other metals. These alloys can be produced to modify the hardness and other metallurgical properties, to control melting point or to create exotic colors.” Gold is very dense, a cubic meter weighing 19,300 kg. By comparison, the density of lead is 11,340 kg/m3.Gold has been known and used by artisans for millennia. Gold artifacts in the Balkans appear from the 4th millennium BC.Like other precious metals, gold is measured by troy weight and by grams. When it is alloyed with other metals the term carat or karat is used to indicate the purity of gold present, with 24 carats being pure gold and lower ratings proportionally less. The purity of a gold bar or coin can also be expressed as a decimal figure ranging from 0 to 1, known as the millesimal fineness, such as 0.995 being very pure.Although the price of some platinum group metals can be much higher, gold has long been considered the most desirable of precious metals, and its value has been used as the standard for many currencies (known as the gold standard) in history. Gold has been used as a symbol for purity, value, royalty, and particularly roles that combine these properties. Because of its historically high value, much of the gold mined throughout history is still in circulation in one form or another.
Crystalline Gold
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The Copper
The Copper
CopperFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaCopper, as native copper, is one of the few metals to occur naturally. Copper was known to some of the oldest civilizations on earth, and has a history of use that is at least 10,000 years old. Some estimates of copper's discovery place this event around 9000 BC in the Middle East.A copper pendant was found in what is now northern Iraq that dates to 8700 BC. It is probable that gold and meteoritic iron were the only metals used by humans before copper.Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal, with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable, and a freshly exposed surface has a reddish-orange color. It is used as a thermal conductor, an electrical conductor, a building material, and a constituent of various metal alloys.Copper metal and alloys have been used for thousands of years. In the Roman era, copper was principally mined on Cyprus, hence the origin of the name of the metal as Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum.Copper compounds are commonly encountered as salts, which often impart blue or green colors to minerals such as turquoise and have been widely used historically as pigments. Copper metal architectural structures and statuary eventually corrode to acquire a characteristic green patina. Copper as both metal and pigmented salt, has a significant presence in decorative art.Like silver and gold, copper is easily worked, being both ductile and malleable. The ease with which it can be drawn into wire makes it useful for electrical work as does its excellent electrical conductivity. Copper is normally supplied, as with nearly all metals for industrial and commercial use, in a fine grained polycrystalline form. Polycrystalline metals have greater strength than monocrystalline forms, and the difference is greater for smaller grain (crystal) sizes.”Copper is one of the most important constituents of carat silver and gold alloys and carat solders used in the jewelry industry, modifying the color, hardness and melting point of the resulting alloys
Copper
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Forging
The Techniques
FORGING - Hand forged silver, copper and goldMy primary production process is FORGING the metal in a piece. I hand forge the metals using custom shaped and polished hammers on specially polished anvils. (my workhorse is a 32oz ball peen hammer called Stella!) In addition to shaping the piece, the process produces the dimpled surface texture, hardens the metal and increases surface density which accepts a brilliant shine.Forging, is a process which changes the characteristics of metal using force to compress and shape the material. It is one of the oldest known metalworking processes, and was traditionally performed by a smith using hammer and anvil. Today heavy, computer controlled, machinery produces most mass produced metal products.Forging can produce a piece that is stronger than the native metal. As the metal is shaped during the forging process, its internal, crystalline structure is modified producing a piece with improved strength, hardness and modified surface characteristics.
Amber in the studio
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Fusing
The Techniques
FUSED METALS - Hot ConnectionsMany of my pieces incorporate multiple components fused into one final unit. The assembled pieces are fused using traditional techniques and involve the addition of a lower melting point alloy of the select metals as a filer between two adjacent pieces. Typically referred to as SOLDERING, this ancient technique is actually a brazing process due to the high temperatures applied.In silversmithing or jewelry making, special hard solders are used that will pass away assay. They contain a high proportion of the metal being soldered and lead is not used in these alloys. These solders vary in hardness, designated as "enameling", "hard", "medium" and "easy". Solder types are used in decreasing order of hardness during the process of making an item, to prevent a previously soldered seam or joint desoldering while additional sites are soldered. Easy solder is also often used for repair work for the same reason. Flux or rouge is also used to prevent joints from desoldering.
Amber in the studio
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Keum
Keum-Boo
KEUM - BOO(also Kum-Boo or Kum-bu - Korean "attached gold") From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Keum-boo is an ancient Korean gilding technique used to apply thin sheets of gold to silver. Traditionally, this technique is accomplished by first depleting the surface of sterling silver to bring up a thin layer of fine (pure) silver. Then gold foil is applied with heat and pressure - mechanical gilding - to produce a permanent diffusion bond.Pure precious metals such as gold and silver have a very similar atomic structure and therefore have a good potential for bonding. Heating these metals to a temperature between 500-700°F increases the movement of the atoms. When pressure is added, this causes an electron exchange at the surface between the two metals, creating a permanent diffusion bond. This diffusion bond occurs far below the soldering temperature for either metal. (Dhein, 2004)Examples of this technique have probably been observed, but not positively identified on pieces from the second half of the first millennium B.C. and from the early first millennium A.D. (Oddy, 1981)This technique is used in many cultures, including Chinese, Japanese and in the West to bond gold to other metals, including iron, copper, aluminum, gold alloys, white gold, palladium and platinum.
Crystalline Gold
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Reticulation
Reticulation
Reticulation is a process which I employ to alter the surface of sterling silver, producing a striking and uniquely textured (fractal) pattern for added interest of select jewelry items. Polishing enhances, and coloring by patination further accentuates the effect.It is a very old process that is not found on mass produced jewelry, and is in fact seldom employed even by studio or artisan jewelers due to the time consuming effort involved.I begin with the process of metal depletion - repeatedly heating and acid quenching sterling silver numerous times in order to oxidize the copper at the surface. And then pickling in acid to remove the oxide and leave a thin layer of pure silver over the interior sterling alloy.Reticulation works because different alloys of the same metal (such as silver alloyed with varying proportions of copper) have different melting temperatures, each of which is lower than the pure form of the metal. For example, the melt temperature of fine silver is about 1,720°F, while sterling, silver melts at about 1,640°F. Silver alloys, that have a higher copper content will melt at 1,600°F or less. The melt temperature of 82/18 reticulation silver, for example, is about 1,520°F.In producing a reticulated surface this step is more thorough than is typically employed to “raise” the silver surface. The next step is the most crucial, fascinating and creative and involves carefully raising the temperature of the piece to just the melting point of the interior alloy while below that of the surface pure silver. Upon cooling, the different layers have different shrinkage characteristics producing an exaggerated wavy, rippled surface. The pattern can be likened to waves on the surface of liquid, the patterns of sand dunes, or that found on a relief map of mountain ranges.As silversmith Sharon Elaine Thompson poetically describes the effect: “The ridges of a reticulated surface are more pronounced than any other surface treatment, looking like a moonscape or a relief map of the Sierra Nevada. In indirect light, the ridges of reticulation cast shadows, like those thrown by mountains in the late afternoon sun. And just as mountain shadows change with the shifting sun, the shadows on a reticulated surface shift as the wearer moves.”Reticulation can be applied to other jewelry metals with varying levels of effects.
Crystalline Gold
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Patina
Patina
Coloration – PATINA (Tarnish) The thin layer of coloration that forms naturally over copper, silver and other similar metals is typically referred to as a patina, or tarnish with an implied stigma. This process (patination) occurs as the outermost layer undergoes a chemical reaction.Tarnish does not always result from the sole effects of oxygen in the air. For example, silver needs hydrogen sulfide to tarnish; it does not tarnish with only oxygen. It often appears as a dull, gray or black film or coating over metal. Tarnish is a surface phenomenon, a chemical change at the atomic level that is self-limiting unlike rust. Only the top few layers of the metal react, and the layer of tarnish seals and protects the underlying layers from reacting.Tarnish actually preserves the underlying metal called patina. The formation of patina is necessary in applications such as copper roofing, and outdoor copper, bronze, and brass statues and fittings.I primarily employ Liver of Sulfur to produce the grey thru black color on some of my silver pieces, in a process referred to as patination. This process employs a chemical reaction in which atoms at the metal surface join with a chemical agent actually changing the molecular structure of the surface.Liver of sulfur is mainly used in metalworking to form a patina, turning copper alloys brown or black.
Crystalline Gold
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Finishing
Finishing
POLISHINGTumbling my completed metal pieces with stainless steel pellets and a dash of liquid dish soap completes the process. Like millions of strikes with tiny polished stainless steel hammers, the metal surface is further hardened and polished to a brilliant shine.
Amber in the studio
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