fusion.

no, i'm not talking about some weird new cuisine.  i'm talking about the fabulous technique of fusing.  fine silver, which is 99.9% silver (vs. sterling, which is 92.5% silver) can be fused - saving you time (and money) in regards to using flux and solder.  (flux and solder... i should have named my jewelry business that instead.  poop.)  i have been experimenting with fusing small fine silver links with my torch and really, in my opinion, it is seriously controlled MELTING.  i've been snipping fine silver wire with my flush cutters and making sure that the ends of the wire meet as completely as i can.  then i take my torch and heat the areas to be joined together.  we all know how i feel about melting stuff and i admit get a little bit of a thrill from watching the "flash" that occurs right at the precise moment that the silver becomes molten and then fuses at the join.  i've been also trying my hand at fusing sterling silver and even though they say it doesn't work... i've been somewhat successful at fusing some of the thicker wire pieces.  including these two rings.  i am not sure if the join will hold, but it seems pretty strong.  now if i could just fuse my attention to the pile of stuff waiting on my desk at the office...