09/10/2024
I recently attended an intensive workshop in gold granulation. It is an ancient art form used to create jewelry before the days of bottled gas or modern soldering techniques, much less modern jewelry hand tools. Think Etruscan jewelry.
Tiny gold beads or 'granules' are created from gold wire and systematically laid out in patterns, then fused to a gold background, using a torch that is powered using the breath. One needs to use a high carat gold such as 18k or 22 kt, with no impurities. To do this you need to create the alloy yourself by melting down pure 24k gold with a small amount of silver and a tiny amount of copper. Then you pour an ingot and roll out the metal to create sheet and wire to create your 'granulated' jewelry piece.
One of the pieces I've recently finished was created from a wax carving, that I then cast for granulation. The following photos show the finished piece and also the carving before casting, the poured gold ingot and gold wire that has been drawn from the ingot. I find the process so fascinating and because such a high heat is needed to create the fusion and the gold is glowing red before the granules fuse, I liken it to dancing on the edge of a volcano!
