Introduction to Gold: Alloying to Fabrication

Learn the art of goldsmithing from alloying to fabrication. This workshop is designed for people who have a firm grasp on silver soldering and fabricating and want to explore the option of working with gold. Students will start with learning the steps to alloy their own gold, then use ingot molds to pour molten gold, form it into sheet or wire, and use the material to fabricate small projects. Students will begin to understand gold in its natural state (nuggets, dendrites, flake and ore) and then transform the gold from its crystalline form to liquid and back to crystalline to become the material with which goldsmiths work. Soldering and polishing will be demonstrated as well as designing to achieve the maximum results from their investment in gold. 

This class is a must for those who wish to make a living as a jeweler and achieve maximum earnings potential by understanding one of the earth’s most precious natural recourses. This is a special 5 day class and it gives students the opportunity to design and create a piece in 14 or 18k gold. Because of the investment in materials, students are encouraged to do a two tone project in gold and silver. Students are encouraged to bring in some pure gold to alloy as well as old gold to be tested and recycled into usable material. Not only will we be using recycled gold from a “GREEN SOURCE”, but we will also reclaim usable gold from the old jewelry that students bring to class.