Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2019 - 52

Margaret
Parker
Silversmith

Dillsboro, North Carolina

aking jewelry is
really and truly
something I love
to do," states Margaret Parker, North
Carolina silversmith. "And I work in my
basement," she says with a smile. "I retired after 31 years with the phone company to take care of my husband who
had bone cancer. After he passed away
in 2000, I found I didn't have anything
to do. One day a friend told me about
a jewelry studio in Canton, North Carolina, that offers classes. So I went; met
Sherri Burch (the owner); and signed up
that day."
Parker attended classes in a number
of locations during her first five years.
"I spent two summers in Young Harris,
Georgia, at the school of lapidary arts. I
took every class they had (except faceting)," she says. Pursuing her new-found
passion of this ancient craft gave her a
fresh outlook. It also opened doors to
new friendships.
"I'm driving back one day with all
my displays in the car, and stopped on
a whim at Dogwood Crafters (in Dills-

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boro, North Carolina). I met Brenda Anders. Had a long talk and showed her my
work-and have been a member of the
co-op since then."
The more education she received, the
more Parker wanted to learn. "There are
basically two ways that I like to make
jewelry-casting and fabricating. For
casting there are a few different methods. First, you can carve any pattern
you want into casting wax. This is not
a very forgiving process, and you have a
tendency to make pieces a little thicker
than you might want them to be. Also,
I've worked with precious metal clay to
make my own molds. You lay down a
piece of jewelry you want to replicate,
trace out the image, and then fire the
mold." She continues, "Second, you can
buy pre-made commercial molds or have
one of your own designs made into one
of these (rubber material) molds. While
more expensive, they can last one to two
years. Sometimes we trade molds among
our jewelry-making friends.
"Lastly, you can do freeform casting
with everyday items. I've seen some very
interesting and artistic pieces made from

a tied bunch of broom straw, pine cones,
tinfoil, and even beans. You get all kinds
of patterns when you let your imagination go wild!"
In addition to casting, Parker is currently involved in fabricating. "If you're
bending or sawing your metals, that's
fabricating," she explains. "I'm making
items from old sterling silverware. And
sometimes you have to heat it a little,
bend or cut, then apply a little more heat.
When it cools, it becomes what is called
'work-hardened.'" Parker is also exploring "die press machines that emboss and
cut out a piece, which are increasing in
popularity. I've made a couple of items,
and might try some more in the future.
"My favorite pieces of jewelry to make
are wedding bands. It's very meaningful
when people special-order a set; and I'm
happy to be a part of that. I also enjoy
setting pendants. My interest in that
started when, years ago, I asked my
brother-in-law to reset some stones for
me. I'd bought a piece at an estate sale
and really liked the stones. He said he
couldn't 'because your diamonds are too
small.' Well, that sort of hurt my feelings.

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Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2019

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