Fusing, Soldering, and Keum Boo with Argentium Silver
Instructor: Cynthia Eid
September 24-26, 2010 ---- 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Metalwerx, Waltham, MA
http://www.metalwerx.com/workshop/120
781-891-3854
Become comfortable annealing, soldering, fusing, and hardening
Argentium Sterling Silver sheet and wire. Argentium Sterling has
superb fusing qualities, so demos will include fusing granules to
sheet, sheet to sheet, wire to wire, and gold to Argentium Sterling.
Argentium Sterling is wonderful for Keum Boo, since the surface does
not need to be heated and pickled as extensively as traditional
sterling prior to application of the gold foil.
Following demonstrations, participants will have time to make their
own samples and/or finished jewelry projects during the class.
Students with basic jewelry and metalsmithing skills, as well as
professionals, are welcome.
About Argentium Sterling Silver: This exciting metal is a sterling
alloy that is at least 92.5% pure silver. It does not firescale, is
highly tarnish resistant, is more malleable and ductile than
traditional sterling, fuses and welds more easily than traditional
sterling, and can be hardened using a kitchen oven.
About Keum Boo (also spelled Kum-Boo): Keum-boo is an ancient Korean
gilding technique used to apply thin sheets of gold to silver.
Traditionally, this technique is accomplished by first depleting the
surface of sterling silver to bring up a thin layer of fine silver.
Then 24 carat gold foil is applied with heat (hot plate, torch, or
UltraLite kiln) and pressure (burnishing).
Cynthia Eid, an internationally recognized metalsmith
(www.cynthiaeid.com), has been working with this alloy since the
year 2000, and is the author of the technical guide to Argentium
Sterling used by Rio Grande, as well as articles published by the
Society of North American Goldsmiths in SNAG News and Art Jewelry
magazine.