Jewellery Making Techniques: Adventures in Keum-Boo

As you may have seen from one of my recent blogs, I spent the summer and autumn last year learning some new skills.

As a jewellery maker, I am always intrigued by other jewellery making techniques  (there are so many!) and even other crafts which can be incorporated into jewellery. 

In November last year, I found myself on a lovely day out at Gearies in Gants Hill doing a keum-boo class run by my inspiring and ever-patient jewellery tutor, Deba Mcdonald.  If you are not familiar with keum-boo (and why would you be?), I shall tell you what it is!

This process is fusing gold foil (often 24 ct) onto silver (usually fine silver or reticulated sterling silver) and is a very old, traditional Korean gilding technique.  The foil is shaped and adhered to the piece of silver and then, using heat and pressure, is fused onto it. Much fun was had with hotplates and protective gloves... (safety first!) 

See the photos of a couple of pieces I played around with, texturing the fine silver, layering up the gold foil and then oxidizing the silver to make the gold just pop.

I have used some of these hunks of silver to make into simple textured stud earrings..but I have some more up my sleeve... watch this space!  

Click here for a browse of amazing courses run by the Redbridge Institute and, in particular, the jewellery classes taught by Deba McDonald.