The Magic of Granulation

There is an ongoing debate as to whether the ancient art of granulation was actually lost and rediscovered in the early 1900’s, or whether it simply fell out of fashion in favour of more modern techniques, less expensive materials, and changing styles. We’ll chat through the process and main challenges of bringing a granulated design to fruition and let you decide for yourself which is most likely.

Designing with granulation

From the outset the designer faces challenges in using granulation. The technique requires the granules to be the same size as the supporting metal surface, so the smaller the granule the thinner the metal supporting it. This is an important consideration for the structural integrity and durability of the finished pieces.

Another design consideration is that the fusing process of the granules relies on high carat alloys: at least 18k for gold and 935 Argentium for silver - affecting the final price of the piece. Silver or gold with lower fine metal content simply won’t fuse successfully.

Finaly the production of the detailed designs depend on access to scarce, highly skilled craftsmen to realize the piece. The following process description highlights the skill level required and makes it obvious why it is such a rare skill set.

Making granules

The goldsmith faces a number of challenges. First is manually creating the desired number of granules to exact sizes. From determining the required amount of metal required for the granule size, to consistently repeating the process to produce the desired number of granules, every step is a manual process. Multiple processes exist: the faster but less accurate method is to cut lengths of wire and melt them to form granules. The more accurate method involves first forming the wire into tiny circles, then melting them to form granules. Either way each granule is made by hand individually, there is no industrial shortcut for the process.

Assembling granulated pieces

The next challenge is a true test of patience - arranging the granules in the desired pattern and sizes. Sometimes the design allows for fine walls of metal surrounding a section to be filled with granules, but often the magic in the completed piece is in the seemingly impossible free arrangement of granules, one by one.

The granules are applied with a wet medium to get them to stay in place. However the piece must be completely dry before heating. This involves letting the piece air dry undisturbed in a warm place for as many hours as it takes. Shortcuts at this stage will lead to tears - the heat from the torch will boil off any remaining moisture in the piece, launching the carefully arranged granules about the studio and returning the goldsmith to step one - making more granules.

The magic of fusing

However the true test of skill and artistry lies in the fusing process. The theory is simple: heat the whole piece to fusing temperature and hold it there for a few seconds allowing the metals to fuse. In practice that simple theory takes enormous experimentation to master. The exact point at which to add or remove heat is one that is learned slowly over time and with much trial and error. Adding granules at a later stage is not possible; the piece must fuse in one go. Overheat the piece and the whole piece will turn into a puddle of molten metal faster that you can say "Bob’s your uncle. Not enough heat and the granules won’t fuse properly - causing them to fall off the piece sooner or later.

Our thoughts on granulation

Whether you take the view that the technique was rediscovered or that it simply became incongruent with contemporary styles, both camps agree that it is a technique that takes enormous time to master. However once mastered, the results are exceptional and the possibilities are endless. The granules can be used to create exquisite textures, patterns and even three-dimensional structures.

At DesignYard we have a number of makers that use granulation in their designs. For example Cassie McCann, Josephine Bergsoe and Neeltje Slater use granulated elements in their designs, but it is Hannah Bedford who takes the technique to a whole new level in her contemporary three dimensional designs with a wonderfully organic feel.

Come explore the different ways granulation can be used in contemporary jewellery at designyard.