[UK Source] Gold for Keum boo supplier?

Jewelry Discussion
1

Can anyone please advise where I can buy gold in the uk to try keum
boo> I believe the best way is to roll your own sheet from 24 carat
but can’t find a supplier?

Many thanks
lou

2

Hi,

Allcraft, in NY allcrafttools at yahoo dot comsells two thicknesses
of foil. The thinner can only be used after all soldering is done.
The thicker can survive a bit of soldering. Allcraft ships
internationally. Rio Grande also carries gold foil. Theirs is a bit
thinner than the thinnest that Allcraft sells. When I want thicker
foil, so that I can do a lot of annealing and soldering, I buy the
thinnest 22 or 24K sheet I can get, and then roll it out until the
rollers won’t roll it any thinner. (If you want it thinner yet, you
roll it between sheets of oxidized copper.) I hope this helps, if you
are unable to find a UK supplier.

Cynthia Eid

3

Hi Lou,

Are you in a position to cast and roll your own sheet? If so,
Cookson Gold sells fine gold casting grain.

Helen
UK

4

Hi Cynthia & Helen.

Helen, I don’t think i’ll try that one just yet i’ve bought enough
equiptment for me to do most silver & aluminium techniques but
casting may be a bit advanced yet (i’m a complete newcomer to all ).
Thinking foil may be easier if I cant get the sheet. Cynthia thanks
for the info I will possibly have to order in if I cant find
anything here and use your recommendations.

Many thanks to both of you it’s much apprteciated,
Lou

5

I get a 24K gold coin, cut off a piece, and put it through the
rolling mill I torch anneal regularly as I go along, but when it
gets quite thin,I anneal it by putting it on a heated hot plate. This
is a trick I learned from Komelia Okim when I took her Keum Boo
workshop.

Alma

6

Hi again Lou,

Cynthia said that she sometimes uses 22K gold sheet for Keum boo.
Cookson Gold that but I didn’t mention it the other day as I didn’t
know 22K vs 24K would be okay. If you can roll that thin enough it
may work for you.

Helen
UK

7

Regarding the use of 22 K gold sheet for keum boo. I was all out of
24 K and ordered some foil from Billmeir in Chicago. They explained
that they did not roll out 24K, to the thinness I required, but could
do it in 22K. I was concerned about the alloy being used, as one of the
steps in preparing the sterling silver for keum boo is to deplete it
of all copper, and I did not want any copper in the gold foil. They
offered to run off a sample of 22K, alloyed with fine silver. It
worked, but the only problem was that the color was very pale–not
rich like the 24K.

Alma