6 Ways to Incorporate Gold In Your Jewelery

Malleable. Unmistakable luster, Rare. A wide range of colors and alloys. Tarnish resistance. A long history of jewelry making. And whatnot makes gold grist for the jewelry designer’s imagination. 

If you are a jeweler and want the glamorous look of gold into your work, you can do it easily without actually creating the solid piece of jewelry. From products like bi-metal to Korean techniques such as keum-boo, there are easy ways to use gold as an accent. Read on to know more about the same.

Gold Findings

If you want to work with gold without fabricating it, you can add small gold charms and findings to your work. It could be a gold chain or gold lobster claw clasp on a silver necklace. You can even try one of your most popular, best-selling pieces in mixed metals. 

You can explore a wide range of gold findings and chains here.

Mix the Metals

Mixing and matching gold with silver can raise the value of your work and be a treat to the eyes. Use small gold accents on silver metal to provide visual contrast to the piece. 

This idea is best for jewelers who want to use fabrication methods and raise the value of their work and pieces while experimenting with mixed metals. Look online for gold fabrication metals like gold wire, sheet and gold tubing and more.

Keum-BOO

It is an ancient Korean gilding technique used to apply the 24k gold sheet to silver and other metals. Traditionally, Keum-Boo is accomplished by first depleting the sterling silver to achieve a thin layer of fine silver. Although the process is fairly simple, you might just need a little more time understanding how to depletion guild. 

This technique is usually best for adding small gold accents to perfect, finished pieces. 

Gold Leaf

If you want much thinner versions of gold foil and sheets used in the keum-boo technique, gold leaf for jewelry is ideal for use with materials like wood. Since the gold leaf is extremely fragile and thin, you must handle it with precision and great care. Also, make sure you apply it using the gilding materials made for this purpose.

I am sure you have seen gold flakes on food, but have you ever incorporated them in one of your pieces? This idea is best for accents on organic materials such as leather and stone. Look online for gold leaf, gold sheets, etc.

Pen-Plating

It is a simple process that uses a fiber electrode plating for selective electroplating of delicate areas. Pen plating uses an electrical charge to deposit a microscopic layer of gold over other metals like nickel, platinum, silver, copper, brass, steel, etcetera. Pen-plating solutions are available in different colors and are priced based on the pennyweights of gold contained in the solution.

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This process is best used for economically adding small amounts of gold to other metals.

Note: You will need to nickel plate the metals before you add gold. 

Aura 22

Love painting on canvas? Aura 22, a liquid 22k gold allows you to actually paint gold accents onto your pieces. You just need a mini kiln/ handheld torch and a soft, paintbrush. The only thing to remember in this process is that after application, you will have to fire the desired piece and make the bond permanent. 

The gold paste can also be fused to sterling silver that has already been depletion gilded. Aura 22 is best for use with textured pieces and metal clays.

Whether you are a jeweler who is always on the prowl for new inspiration or just starting out, we hope this article helped you!