Does anyone know where I could find gold filigree wire, preferably
already flattened, and possibly some pre-processed solder that I can
just paint on? Really not in the mood to twist and flatten it myself
if I even decide to twist it. Also if anyone sells pre-made solder
specifically for filigree that’d be great. I’m also hoping to find a
book or two on filigree technique and patterns since I still don’t
know what design I want to do. It’d also be nice to have a reference
to look back at whenever I get unsure about if I’m doing everything
right which, since I’ve never really worked with gold, will be about
every 2 minutes, especially since this is going to have a setting in
it.
I got in over my head the other day saying I’d do necklaces for my
best friend (the bride) and all of the brides’ maids, since I have
enough matching sapphires to do it, and now I’m stuck since I can’t
consciously put good sapphires in silver. The only project that
doesn’t scare me to death is possibly doing filigree work since it’s
something I can do without too much anxiety about ruining the piece
and a whole lot of gold.
Does anyone know where I could find gold filigree wire, preferably
already flattened, and possibly some pre-processed solder that I
can just paint on?
If you do find a source, please post it! I’ve been trying to find
some for about six months, and I’m about resigned to the idea of
twisting and flattening it myself. Without a rolling mill, that’s
going to be fun, too.
I got in over my head too, agreeing to copy my own silver ring
design in gold for a good friend. I’ve been sitting here, eyeing that
$250 worth of gold, afraid to touch it. It will be the first time
I’ve done anything in gold, I don’t even do much in silver, since
I’m still a student.
If you want powdered solder, though, Unique Solutions in Florida
does some nice stuff. I’ve used the silver for my silver filigree,
and it’s worked lovely. Paint on paste flux, sprinkle on the powdered
solder, very nice in silver. They also do gold. Jewelry Resource and
Supply in Seattle also sells ingots of Victoria Lansford’s formula,
but you have to file it down yourself. More work, and I don’t know if
they’re doing anything in gold.
Hi Liz. The only book currently available, dedicated to filigree is
the one I wrote and published through Kalmbach…it’s called Silver
Threads: Making Wire Filigree Jewelry (available via Amazon and other
places).
Otherwise, Victoria Lansford (I think that’s her last name) did a
DVD on the Russian filigree technique. Mine is based loosely on the
Norwegian style of filigree I learned while living in Norway. I just
didn’t like the repetitiveness of Norwegian filigree, so I developed
my own freeform style using the technique. (you can see my work at jeannius.com). Otherwise, some books, like Oppi Untrach’s Jewelry: Concepts And Technology, and one of Joanna Gollberg’s books have
sections on filigree. There were too self published books about
filigree by an elderly gentleman named Leon Horntein, who is now
passed away and I don’t know that his books are readily available.
I don’t know of any place offhand that is making gold filigree wire,
but I know someone was talking to Kevin Whitmore at Rio Grande a
couple of years ago. You might want to contact him through Rio
Grande. I would imagine that it is produced in quantity in Italy,
where they do a fair amount of gold filigree. If you cannot find it,
I would suggest getting fine, twist wire in gold, which should be
readily available, and using a rolling mill, if you have access to
one, to flatten it.
When I do filigree, I generally use chip solder, as trying to paint
it on or using paste solder, generally ends up with my pieces being
moved out of place. I know someone makes a powdered (not paste)
silver solder, but I don’t know that it’s available in gold…paste
may be the best you can do for something you could paint on or
squeeze into place.
