
Some days I feel like a blob of drippy gold... ( is that a good thing or a bad thing...? )
Wary Meyer's excellent golden drip makes me smile because its very familiar to me;
I actually melt actual gold all the time...
Let me tell you the story, it starts here, in this shape:
pure gold, well... 99.9% pure they say.
It has an amazing lustre and weight, sans pareil!
But it is soft. Too soft for what I want it for this time. So I'm going to mix it with a some silver to give it a little hardness. I do this a l'anncienne-
It has an amazing lustre and weight, sans pareil!
But it is soft. Too soft for what I want it for this time. So I'm going to mix it with a some silver to give it a little hardness. I do this a l'anncienne-
This mixture was carefully weighed and apportioned to make a 20k alloy (833/000).
Now we gon' melt it!
This next part is where it gets elemental. The metals are turning to liquid and mixing together. This is hard to photograph and control at the same time! 'Scuse me for a bit, I've got to concentrate.
Ok, its done.
This black crater is in fact a charcoal block. One can easily gouge a little crucible into it, to hold the eponymous golden drip. It also catches on fire- which consumes local oxygen, lessening oxidisation of metals (ie, the non-gold parts of this alloy tend to go black). Known in the biz as a reducing atmosphere. (dont forget to quench your block afterward though, or you'll come back to a pile of ash!) *turns off laser pointer*
Out of the charcoal crucible comes the little perfect bean of 20k Gold.
Lovely.
"Please will you become a flat ribbon, little bean of gold?"
"Sure, I'll go through those rollers- just make sure they're clean ok?"
"Check."
Its a bit like making pasta, or any dough- just roll it out...
After a certain amount of working though, it gets hard and springy.
The goldsmith mustn't ignore this or else it will crack.
Then back to the rolling mill to make the gold longer and thinner;
One of the finer points of this process; I like to add a subtle texture to the surface- otherwise it is the surface identity of the rolling mill that defines the material- which in this case would be too industrial, too hard-edged. I'm seeking a softer texture, to diffuse the light somewhat, because Im not going to polish the final product- I want the gold lustre to fully sing, without reflecting the surrounding world ( are you still with me? this is a really important consideration for me- I hope you get me)
Any scraps go into the little box for the next ingotting session.
They are my favorite and my best.
Yes, I make each one by hand.
( I tried casting them, but they weren't as good somehow)
When you are a maker, it is best when you've found something that flows out of you- not necessarily easily, but naturally, like how a spider makes a web or a bee makes honey- you know, that's what they really do best and uniquely.
I could keep on making these happily, for a long time to come...