bringing up the gold

[ajda]

The internet is my main tutor, but of course information is scattered about on it - not always easy to find specific answers, and not always reliable... so the benefit of your experience is helpful and very much appreciated, James. I have been quenching in water, though cautiously, at "black heat" - useful to know that cooling on a steel block is effective. I haven't been covering with flux so far, but wondered what "best" advice might be. (Most of my experience is with Argentium silver which behaves quite differently to sterling and gold alloys in the flame, should be quenched or cooled in a similarly cautious way and needs little if any fluxing and pickling.)

Alan

[enigma]

Don't you get issues with fire scale on sterling James?
I find I do unless I flux.

[Goldsmith]

Don't you get issues with fire scale on sterling James?
I find I do unless I flux.

I polish off any fire scale that occurs Sarah, although using a heated sulphuric acid pickle cleans the sterling silver well after any heat treatments, after pickling, my silver comes out with a clean white surface.

James

[Goldsmith]

Here is a photo of my main use for 18ct red gold, I used it for my flower stems, it is harder than yellow gold, retains its strength and gives a good contrast against the yellow gold leaves.
This is a close up of the blooms of the last flower that I made, hopefully it shows the red gold flower and leaf stems.



James

[enigma]

Thanks James, I use safety pickle so maybe not the same ?

[ajda]

Beautiful flower arrangement - what sort of size is that?
Alan

[Goldsmith]

Beautiful flower arrangement - what sort of size is that?
Alan

The whole piece including the vase is 10 inches tall Alan, the vase is carved rock crystal.



James

[ajda]

Wow - that's quite a bit bigger than I thought - very impressive! And the petals of the flower - are they enamelled? They look quite thick and substantial. By the way, the piece I'm working on is coming on nicely... photos to follow...
Alan

[Goldsmith]

Alan all of my flowers were hard fired enamelled, I have made quiet a few over the years, all close to life size.



James

[ajda]

Those are incredible. I particularly like the one at top left - cornflower and oats? - though difficult to see much detail. Do you do any of the enamelling yourself, or always work with a dedicated enameller? I remember a post a while back about Alan Mudd (I think that was your post?) and looking up some of his stuff... amazing work.

Alan