What is Silver Dust?

Silver Dust, or Silverdust, is a technique that Navajo silversmiths use to add texture, contrast and sparkle to the background of a piece. Sterling silver shavings or filings are applied to the surface of a sterling silver piece and then heated just enough for the particles to adhere - resulting in a textured background. The silverdust process is more complicated that this quick description and involves other ingredients and great skill with the heat. If stones are going to be added to a piece, they are added after all heating processes, such as silverdusting, are completed first.