About us

Image shows smiling woman in red glasses and messy jeweler's bench

 

Welcome to Idle Gauds Jewelry and Metals! I'm Lina Wilder, and I design and make all of the jewelry and other treasures you see on this page. 

I specialize in traditional metalsmithing techniques, particularly the kinds of techniques that involve direct manipulation and sculpting of the metal. My current favorites are chasing and repoussé, an ancient method of creating a 3D surface on sheet metal by using a hammer and highly polished metal punches; and hammer raising, an equally ancient method of creating hollow vessels by gradually coaxing sheet metal into dish, bowl, and cup shapes by hammering it over a smooth metal stake. The metal fabricating industry has largely replaced this kind of metalwork with automated processes like die stamping, but to me they provide a visceral, tactile connection among the maker, the object, and the user that can't be replaced by anything made in a machine.

Image shows copper sheet embedded in pitch and in the process of being shaped into a bee

My jewelry ranges from small but impactful pieces to serious chunks of va-voom. (You can decide which are which.) I believe in that beauty is necessary in everyday life, and my pieces reflect that belief.

Image shows a woman's hand with multiple gemstone and silver rings on every finger

I use only natural gemstones and sea glass. There might be the occasional exception, but it will be clearly marked.

My silver pieces are made in argentium sterling silver, a patented alloy of silver with unique properties. While bog-standard sterling is 92.5% pure silver, argentium is 93.5%-94% pure silver. Like regular sterling, argentium contains a small amount of copper to make the metal harder. Unlike regular sterling, argentium also contains germanium, a metalloid element that gives the resulting alloy a brighter silver color, increased hardness and durability, better hypoallergenic qualities, and excellent tarnish resistance. If you've ever been frustrated by tarnish on your sterling pieces, try argentium!

If you have any questions or if you would like to start a custom order, please contact me using the button on this site! You can also find me on Pinterest, Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook.