Why Pewter?

All of the pendants I've made so far use a pewter setting. I was recently asked why I use pewter instead of silver. Well, for one, using silver would increase the cost of the pendants quite a bit. These setting are pretty substantial. They have deep walls allowing me to pour a thick coat of resin about 1/8 inch deep, so there is a fair amount of metal to them. Silver would be pretty costly for pendants this size.

Also, there really is nothing to be gained in terms of beauty. The settings aren't meant to be the focal point, the art is, so what they are actually set in is less important.

The other reason is, I just like pewter. If you notice some of the pieces I've done, you see a bit of influence from the Renaissance and Middle Ages. Pewter, which is mostly tin with some copper and antimony thrown in as a hardener, was used extensively in these periods for nearly everything - cups, vases, pots, forks, bowls, etc.

Nowadays you don't see pewter too much unless it's a decorative item. If you've ever gone to a Renaissance festival I'm sure you've seen the pewter dragons, plates and beer steins at various craft tents. But it's this connection to the past that I like and one of the reasons I use it also. It just seems like the right metal to use.