Beads of Gold: Techniques in Granulation

Vintage Italian Bracelet Charm. Photo ©2014 EraGem. This spectacular vintage Italian charm pendant features cultured pearls and five faceted oval-cut amethysts. Crafted of 18k yellow gold, this beautiful piece features exquisite metal work, including authentic filigree and granulation techniques. Careful inspection reveals a multitude of tiny golden beads crowning the floral embellishments lining the central arches of this charming jewel. These tiny spheres represent countless hours of detailed labor on the part of a highly skilled goldsmith. Called granulation, this technique of fashioning minuscule metal orbs and soldering them in place on another piece of metal hails from the Sumerians, the ancient civilization believed to be the first of all true civilizations. Revived and perfected in the 7th and 6th centuries BC by the illustrious Etruscans, this technique has been used off and on throughout jewelry history. Metallurgists will tell you that when small pieces of metal are heated to their melting point they will refashion themselves into tiny spheres, much like individual dewdrops of water will do on the surface of a leaf. Today, goldsmiths use a number of methods to create these golden wonders. The first involves cutting narrow fringes along the edge of a thin sheet of metal and then trimming them off to form tiny individual squares. Another involves the use of a mandrel, a cylindrical rod around which very thin wire is coiled. As the wire spools off the mandrel, the jeweler will cut it into very small jump rings. Once these tiny pre-spheres are fashioned, they are coated in charcoal powder. Next, the bottom of a crucible is doused with more charcoal powder, and the small pieces of coated metal are sprinkled evenly across the powder, much like seeds are sown in the ground. Another layer of charcoal is added, followed by more bead seeds, until the crucible is filled three-quarters of the way up. The crucible is then placed in an oven, and as the container grows hotter, the metal pieces begin to melt and form into tiny spheres. Once cooled, they are cleaned with water or acid and prepared for soldering. The goal is to produce fairly evenly-sized beads measuring between .14 mm and 3.5 mm in diameter. The smaller the beads, the harder they are to fashion, which is why the Etruscan designs inspire so much intrigue. These remarkable relics feature the tiniest of beads, fashioned several centuries before the dies for super fine wires were invented. One historian, Jochem Walters, proposes that the Etruscans achieved such minute results by melting coarse gold filings in layers of powdered charcoal. On this beautiful piece, the beads are on the large side, probably fashioned from larger-gauge wire which was cut and fired in the fashion described above. The overall effect is crown-like, with the tiny beads mirroring the rounded pearls and the orb-style top-piece. This piece represents a stunning example of vintage Italian craftsmanship.