This is the making process photos of "Art Nouveau style golden blossoms necklace"
First I make the outer frame as usual. This frame is made of two layers of sterling silver sheet.
One is 07mm thick and the other is 1.2mm thick. They are soldered and filed. The smoth rounded surface is very important for this design.
The "wall" is built along the edges. The height should be a bit higher than the total of the support ring height and Keum Boo panel thickness.
Here it is 3mm. 2mm high ring and 0.7mm thick panel.
The side scrolls are being soldered.
More scrolls!! And jump rings. I wanted to express a conplicated buch of them.
Keum Boo is done. I use 0.05mm thick fine silver foil and 0.02mm thick fine gold foil here.
They are Keum Booed on 0.7mm thick depression gilt sterling silver sheet on a hot plate, a.k.a. a copper sheet on a kitchen stove.
I polish the surface a bit after Keum Boo. And then it will be oxidized with LOS.
The oxidization is done. The clound patterns and the branches are wiped out and oxidized slightly again.
Are you asking what I use to polish them because there is only 0.05mm difference of the height?
Of course I use my hands and concentration, and a little of Force.
The body is 18K gold palated. The thickness is, they say 2 microns. Plating is outsourced.
It's beautiful but, I think, a bit boring. Too smooth and flat.
So I add fine gold leaf using Makie technique. If you don't know Makie, please look up Google.
These are main materials I use. A sheet of gold leaf and natural lacquer called surrogate Urushi.
The real Urushi is difficult to use. It causes skin rush and needs a moisture room to be solid.
The surrogate urushi is made from another tree of the same family and it doesn't have these problems.
You can use it like an ordinary lacquer glue.
You don't need to apply gold leaf evenly because the purpose is to create shade and nuance.
Here you are!! A beautiful pearl is something like chocolate. It solves any problems.
You see a support ring at the back side. It is fixed with 3 rivets.
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