Inside a Bali Silver Workshop — How Handmade Jewelry Is Made

From Raw Silver to Finished Jewelry

Every STRUGA piece begins as raw silver grain and ends as a wearable object with its own character. The journey between those two points involves techniques that Balinese silversmiths have refined over centuries, combined with contemporary design approaches.

Our workshop is located in Celuk Village, Gianyar — the historic center of Balinese metalworking, where families have practiced silversmithing for generations.

Step 1: Design

Each STRUGA design begins as a sketch or 3D model. The designer considers not just how the piece looks, but how it feels on the body, how it catches light, and how the silver will age over time. Some designs go through dozens of iterations before reaching the workshop floor.

Step 2: Wax Carving

For complex pieces, a wax model is carved by hand using precision tools. This wax original captures every detail that will appear in the final silver piece. The lost-wax casting technique (known as cire perdue) has been used for over 5,000 years and remains the gold standard for intricate jewelry production.

Step 3: Casting

The wax model is encased in a plaster mold and heated until the wax melts away, leaving a negative cavity. Molten 925 sterling silver (heated to approximately 960°C) is then poured or centrifugally forced into the mold.

After cooling, the plaster is broken away to reveal the raw silver casting — rough, with imperfections, but carrying the exact form of the original wax model.

Step 4: Filing & Finishing

This is where the most time is spent. Each casting is filed by hand to remove casting imperfections, smooth surfaces, and refine edges. For STRUGA's brutalist pieces, some texture is deliberately preserved — the balance between refinement and rawness is a design decision, not an oversight.

Multiple grits of sandpaper and polishing compounds bring the silver to its intended finish. For Living Silver pieces, no rhodium coating is applied — the natural silver surface is the final finish.

Step 5: Assembly

Multi-component pieces (bracelets with links, earrings with findings, necklaces with clasps) are assembled by hand. Each link is connected, each pin is set, each toggle clasp is fitted. Soldering joins are made with silver solder to maintain material consistency.

Step 6: Oxidation (For Blackened Pieces)

Pieces designated for the blackened or oxidized finish are treated with a liver of sulfur solution, which chemically darkens the silver surface. The artisan then selectively removes the darkening from raised surfaces, creating the dramatic contrast between light and shadow that defines STRUGA's dark aesthetic.

Step 7: Stone Setting

For tourmaline and aquamarine pieces, each raw crystal is individually selected and set by hand. STRUGA uses uncut, unpolished stones — each one is unique in size, color, and shape. The setter must adapt their technique to each specific crystal, making every piece truly one-of-one.

Step 8: Quality Check

Every completed piece is inspected for structural integrity, finish quality, and design accuracy. The 925 hallmark is stamped, and the piece is photographed and cataloged before shipping.

The Workshop Environment

Unlike factory production, our workshop operates at a human scale. Each artisan handles a piece from start to finish — they don't pass it down an assembly line. This means they develop a personal relationship with each object they create, and take pride in the individual result.

The sounds of filing, the heat of the torch, the smell of flux — these are constants in a Balinese silver workshop. Air conditioning is minimal, natural light is preferred, and the tropical climate means working with open doors year-round.

Visit the Workshop

Workshop visits in Celuk Village can be arranged by appointment. See the process firsthand and meet the artisans. Contact us at contact@strugadesign.com.

Related Collections

• All STRUGA Jewelry
• One-of-One Pieces
• Oxidized Silver
• About STRUGA