How did you come up with your business name?
The name 'Hanus' came from my Grandfather who immigrated from Czechoslovakia during WWII. He worked hard to establish his own business, importing and exporting oriental rugs and diamonds. How he approached life and made people happy, was and is my inspiration. I miss him greatly.
What is your shipping and return policy?
Items ship within 24 hours after receipt of order.
Before ordering, please note item dimensions. Please contact Hanus Jewelry with any questions. No refunds.
Exchanges will be considered if you notify Hanus Jewelry within 3 days of receipt of
merchandise. Buyer is responsible for all shipping charges related to exchange.
What is fine silver and fusing?
The fusing technique requires the use of pure metals, pure or “fine” silver and 24Kt gold, not alloys. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, in comparison, sterling silver is 92.5% pure with the remaining consisting of nickel. I use fine silver for it's anti-tarnish feature!
I start with a certain length of silver wire and roll it around a dowel, size of dowel depends on what I'm creating.
Then I cut or saw the rings so that the ends are flush, which makes it easier for the metal to fuse together.
I then torch the entire piece to about 1800 degrees until it looks almost liquidy, being careful not to overheat or underheat, a split second either way and it can be ruined.
After it cools in cold water the metal is now soft where I can texture it with hammers and/or shape and manipulate the wire into whatever I want to create. Sometimes I may have to reheat the piece (anneal) to complete the shaping process.
I then put the piece in a tumbler with steel shot for at least 45 minutes so the metal hardens again. Then I am able to put the piece together.
I enjoy this process the most, it's very time consuming but very rewarding!
What is the best way to clean fine silver jewelry?
Fine silver 'tarnishes' a little differently than sterling silver, it tends to just get flat and lose it's shine as opposed to changing the color and looking brassy and/or dark. However you can clean both sterling and fine silver the same way.
I use a cloth called 'Shine Rite' available on Etsy and other websites.
A quick pass over on your fine silver jewelry is all it takes to keep it looking new and shiny.
I also use a liquid product, Goddards Jewelry Cleaner, that can be found at most drugstores. I've cleaned everything with this, even diamonds.
If you own any silver jewelry, it's best not to wait until it actually needs cleaning, cleaning your pieces periodically will always keep them looking beautiful.