Never heard of anticlastic raising?  Join the long queue. 

First question you might ask is - if this is anticlastic raising what is clastic raising?   Unfortunately, life being what it is, there is - as far as we know, no such thing.  The opposite to anticlastic is synclastic.  Confused?  The word synclastic describes a physical form in which the dominant curves both move in the same direction. When the two dominant axes curve in opposite directions the result is known as an anticlastic form. You may also find the word hyphenated - anti-clastic.

A bowl is a synclastic form and a saddle is an anticlastic form.   The attraction of anticlastic shapes is their inherent rigidity.  This allows us to use very thin and hence very light materials which are formed into very strong anticlastic shapes.  Often the shapes have an organic 'feel' as if they have grown rather than been manufactured.  The technique uses fine manipulation of the metal using a small hammer and plenty of time and skill.  No two pieces are the same.  To make an anti-clastic earring, a flat sheet of metal is shaped by stretching the centre and then carefully bending the edges in the opposite direction so that the surface develops two curves at right angles to each other. The result is two sides that curl up, and two curl down, like the shape of a saddle. 

Still baffled?  We had thought of trying to draw what we mean, but found ourselves in a maze of confusion.

So try this - Find a sheet of paper and lay it flat.  Lift up two opposite corners to meet.  Keep the  two corners pinched between your fingers.  Lift up the other two corners to meet so that you have all four corners - you have made a little parachute and this is a synclastic form.  Now let go of the last two corners and let them drop down flat.  Now lift the paper up and keep hold of the two corners in your fingers.  Now, try to make the other two corners meet underneath the first two - if you manage this you have made an anticlastic form.  You should see that the paper in the centre of the form is not 'happy' and will tend to crease and distort.  This is apparent since paper is not ductile and will tear if the internal stresses become too high. In a highly malleable metal such as gold, silver and the other materials we use, this distortion leads to compressive and tensile stresses within the metal which in turn makes the form very, very stiff. 

The concepts behind anticlastic raising are used in architectural design - the Sydney Opera House being a prime example, but you will find anticlastic forms in tents, cars, aircraft and consumer goods of all types. Anywhere where the need for strength, stiffness and lighweight structures is a prime requirement.  We like earrings which are almost weightless - hence we use anticlastic techniques.