Sterling Silver Belt Buckles

We are pleased to offer a number of sterling silver belt buckles, part of our extensive collections of Celtic Jewelry and Northwest Indian Jewelry.

View all Sterling Silver Buckles

Cast Buckles

These belt buckles are cast in solid sterling silver using the “lost wax” investment casting method. Each buckle made in this age-old jewelers technique must first be made in wax. The wax buckle is then “invested” or covered with a plaster of paris slurry and allowed to dry. It is then placed in a gas fired kiln and baked at 1500 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours, during which time all the wax in the plaster mold is burned out or “lost”. The result is a cavity into which the molten sterling silver is poured. After cooling, the buckle casting is broken from the mold.

At this point, the casting is black from the oxidation of the molten sterling silver and must be carefully ground, tooled and polished to achieve the final gleaming finish. The final finishing and tooling marks reflect the individuality of each buckle and attest to the craftsmanship involved in its unique creation.

These solid sterling silver cast belt buckles meet the highest standards of craftsmanship possible in a cast sterling silver medium.

Die Stamped Buckles

The Wolf and Salmon buckles of Dale Faulstich are die stamped from sheet silver.  In stamping, a steel die with the design in reverse is stamped down with considerable pressure on a sheet of silver so that the design is driven into the silver.  This not only puts the design onto the silver but also work-hardens the metal, improving its resistance to wear.  The buckle is then cut from the sheet with a cutter much like a cookie cutter, curved, and the loop and hook attached.  Stamping provides good detail and finish, although it does not allow the high relief shown by lost wax casting.

Care and Cleaning

Tarnishing is a natural occurrence with sterling silver and should be expected. To clean, polish with any silver polish and a soft cloth or with our Jewelry Polishing Cloth.  When cleaning the Celtic Horse Buckle, take care not to polish the black background, which has been left with a dark oxidized background to show the horses in bold relief.

For more information …
Please follow the links below for more information and related items.

Leather Belts
Celtic Jewelry
Pacific Northwest Coast Indian Jewelry
Jewelry Frequently Asked Questions