Metal Working (Subscribe)
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These earrings have a granulated pattern on the surface and a small stone set in the center. Granulation is the process of fusing tiny metal spheres of silver or gold in a decorative pattern to a surface of the same metal. It is an ancient technique that produces a beautiful, delicate effect.
(I added this category, since many people are curious about Bali beads, and this technique is similar to ones used in making those beads. -Ed.)
I added this here more because of the tips on how to spiral wire, and get a good even sprial, rather than the project itself. -Ed.
Here is a project that gets right to basics: We set a hard thing (steel tool) on a softer thing (copper, brass or sterling) and hit it with a hammer. As any child could predict, the tool will leave a mark. When we pile up enough marks, we make a pattern. These earrings have been designed to use extremely simple tools that can be made from hardware store items. The path of jewelry technology is a long and interesting one, but like all paths, it has to start somewhere, often with a technique as simple as place-hit-repeat.
