Crafting silver earrings: the rosin board

Some Miao silver earrings feature elaborate engravings. The small pieces are first fixed onto a rosin board to hold them steady.

So the silversmith heats the black rosin board to soften the surface. The silver pieces are then easily placed in the near-molten rosin. When the rosin cools down and hardens, the silver jewels are stuck in the surface.

He’ll now carefully draw designs with a pencil, and then engrave them with sharp steel sticks. This step requires great patience, and has been perfected over the centuries by the Miao people.

Engraving the design on your silver earrings

The steel sticks are about 10 cm long and have flat, round, or pointed tops. A light hammer made of the horn of a water buffalo is used to strike the sticks and engrave your silver earrings.

After this process, beautiful pictures will appear on the surface the silver earrings. It takes years of practice and a very steady hand to engrave such small details.

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