Analysis, Discussion and Tips for Success

General Discussion

Silver is primarily a power-training material in the Crafting skill. It can be used to get a good amount of experience fairly quickly, even at low levels; however, there are no items you make from it that are in high demand in large quantities, so the market is flooded with end products, the value of nearly all of which is very low. This means you usually take a fairly big monetary loss when making silver items.

Holy symbols are the "entry level" item that can be crafted with silver. They are initially made in an unstrung state; in order to be finished, they must be strung. This is best done as a separate step, because you make the unstrung symbols 27 at a time but string them 14 at a time. This method describes each of the two phases (molding and stringing).

Note that high level members can also use the special Lunar Magicks spell String Jewellery to magically attach strings to holy symbols. Also note that to make a usable holy symbol, there is still one extra step: blessing the symbol, which can be done at the Monastery, or by players using a holy book or book of balance.

Location and Access

Members should complete at least the easy portion of the Varrock Achievement Diary, then use the furnace right next to the bank in Edgeville. (I assume level 20 skills minimum to have done this diary, since it has a level 20 skill requirement.) Another option is to use the clay forge in Neitiznot. In my tests, the two are very close, but Edgeville is slightly faster, and certainly more convenient; Neitiznot is a better choice for those who value peace and quiet since it is usually nearly deserted.

Non-members and very low level members who have not yet completed any of the Varrock Diary should craft at Al-Kharid.

Required and Recommended Equipment

An amulet mould is required, which you can get at a crafting shop (there's one in Al-Kharid), or from a Tool Store 4 in a Workshop in a player owned house.

Required and Recommended Supplies

One silver bar and one ball of wool per symbol.

Familiar Suggestions

Summon a foraging familiar to earn extra money for you while you work -- I prefer the magpie, given the high value of rings and gems today. There isn't a really worthwhile forager below Summoning level 47, so I wouldn't bother with a familiar at lower levels.

Technique and Tips

As mentioned earlier, making the symbols and stringing them should be done as separate steps. For non-members and low level members, it is most efficient to make symbols until your run energy gets low, then string them in the bank while it recovers.

Start out with a holy mould in your inventory, withdraw a full load of silver bars, then click in the furnace room on your minimap. While running, click a silver bar in your inventory, then click the furnace. When the Crafting interface appears, right-click the Saradomin Symbol entry and choose "Make All". Then return to the bank, store the symbols, and repeat.

For the greatest efficiency, if you are crafting in Edgeville, right-click the bank and hover over the "Use-quickly" menu item, clicking it when all of your bars are consumed; widening the RuneScape window may make this easier.

To string the symbols, withdraw 14 of them and 14 balls of wool; use one symbol on one ball, then right-click the main interface area and choose "Make All". When done, bank the unblessed symbols and repeat -- this is quite fast, requiring only about 20 seconds per load.