The Blog — alternative materials

Here, at Le Chien Noir Jewelry, I try to work with recycled metals as much as possible. I melt my scraps into ingots that I can roll out and reuse in my jewelry. I also seek out and use some really wonderful recycled materials. Some of the alternatives I've discovered and love include: Leland blue - cut from beautiful antique slag, a waste product from the smelting process used in the late 1800s by the Leland Lake Superior Iron Company. Here's an example from my shop.  Fordite - cut from built-up layers of dried paint used in painting cars in factories. It becomes colorful...