KEUM BOO CLASS

These are some examples of the Keum Boo technique in my own work. Photos by Jonathan Sabin.

I will be teaching a Keum Boo class at Bead Haven on Thursday. In case you've never heard of this technique before, it's a method of fusing gold to silver. Keum boo in Korean translates literally as 'attached gold'. It is a very ancient technique that originated in Korea (probably other places at the same time as well) that takes advantage of silver and gold's similar atomic structure. Gold is layered on either fine silver or copper depleted sterling (in the case of my class, we'll be using fine silver PMC pieces that we'll make). When heat and pressure are applied the gold is permanently bonded on a molecular level to the silver. It's a relatively cost effective way to add gold to your work, plus it's a lot of fun too. The results are beautiful and immediate. Come join us if you can.