Keum-bu!
What a delight to work with solid 24k gold. When
one has this fortune, one begins to see why California
was the melting pot for the entire world in two
years! From 1848 to 1850 many skilled craftsman
came here. Chinese alchemists were fital
in refining the gold that came from the Sierra
Nevada mountains.
24K gold touches a deep nerve pulsating
through the history of mankind. In Ancient
China 24k gold was truely appreciated and highly
regarded in ornamention. Even today, when
a person purchases gold, they pay the cost of 24k
gold, then they are charged a fee by the jeweler
for making the jewelry.
In
many ancient cultures, when the king went
to war, he had to be distinguished from the
other knights and generals.
The process of Keum-bu was used on steel
to designate the armor of royalty. Keum-bu
has been used in ornamentation, passing down
from generation to generation as an ancient
metalsmithing technique allowing one to fuse
24K solid gold to a sterling silver surface. The
silver has been heated and quenched in an acid
bath removing the copper on the surface, creating a
pure 100% silver surface. One then fuses
24k gold through heat and pressure to this
new silver surface. This is an elegant
look for those that enjoy the richness and
feel of solid 24k Gold! This choice is one
for Queens and those that choose the royal
look!
I
would like to thank Thomas McGurrin Goldsmith,
Sanbornton, NH for the many hours he shared
guiding me through the process of metalsmithing. When
I had a technical difficuty, Tom was the man
to go to. Click "McGurrin Studio" and
it will bring you to his work! If you
are so moved, to curiosity, you may write or
call Tom personally. He is a leader among
the jeweler friends of mine for his exquisite
scense of design and execution. His work
is superb!
Thomas
McGurrin
McGurrin
Studio
Tom and Doris McGurrin
242 hale Road
Sanbornton, NH 03269
603-286-8886 |
