Kembu

Jewelry Discussion
1

Greetings:

I’m looking for a source of Korean gold leaf for Kembu. American
gold leaf is too thin. I saw some Korean gold leaf that seemed
to be about 2 or 3 times thinker than American. If anyone has a
source for this material, please let me know.

thanks
Virginia Lyons
Metalsmith

2

I’m looking for a source of Korean gold leaf for Kembu. American
gold leaf is too thin. I saw some Korean gold leaf that seemed
to be about 2 or 3 times thinker than American. If anyone has a
source for this material, please let me know.

Don’t buy leaf. Buy it as foil. Thompson enamels used to sell
it. so did enamelworks supply in Seattle.

Or make it. With a rolling mill set as tight as you can,
several passes through the mill with fine gold will give you a
nice useable foil for kumbo. maybe a bit thicker than the
commercial stuff, but I like it that way. for thinner, roll a
double layer…

Peter Rowe

3

You can also place your foil between 2 pieces of annealed copper
and then run that through your mill to get that super thinness.

4

Camilla O’Kim imports it from the Orient. She teaches many
kimboo classes. You can contact her at 301-251-8933.

Joan

5

Virginia, Have you thought about purchasing 24k gold sheet and
rolling it down yourself to the desired thickness? It takes
alot of rolling and annealing but you can get an awful lot from a
1X1 sheet!

6

Virginia --Try –
Hauser & Miller Company
10950 Lin Valle Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63123
800-462-7447

I remember that when I was pricing gold leaf for enameling,
theirs was more than I expected and when we talked about it, I
also realized that it was thicker than I was expecting to use.
It may be exactly what you’re looking for. I very much like
dealing with these people; they will always answer any question
and if they don’t have exactly what you are looking for, will
often help you find it. I buy all my metal from them (except
gold leaf, of course!).

7

Speaking of Kum Boo, what is the proper spelling of it! I make
up a small card for my clients to explain the process and have
seen numerous spelling variations!

8

Komelia Okim, who teaches at Montgomery County Community College
(name is that or very similar) teaches the technique and sells
the leaf, which she brings in from Korea. She says it’s superior
to anything you can get here.

-Elaine

9

I’ve been rolling down my own 24 kt sheet from bullion coins
that I also use for making my own 22 kt alloy and for making foil
that willwork well for enamelling. I heard that Enamel Emporium
in Houston, TX also sells thicker 24 kt foil, but the phone
number is lost right now. Sorry. Komelia Okim is holding a
workshop in NYC at the Craft Students League (YWCA at 53rd
Street) on Korean surface design on Sat., April 17. I am signed
up and I encourage anyone in the NYC area to sign up at (212)
735- 9731. Ms. Okim will be covering Kumboo, Poe-Mok
Saang-gaam,and their applications to both large and small pieces.
I am looking forward to this workshop and hope to see other
Orchidites there! Juliet Gamarci
@julietg1

10

Komelia Okim spells it Kum-Boo and it is also spelled that way
in the book “Metals Teachnic.”

Marilyn Smith