[pearlescence]

Purple gold? more info please for me and fellow purple person Caitlin, I am sure!

[aggiep]

When I was at the Revere Academey, Alan brought in a piece of purple gold one day. Unless you have pure 24K gold, you mix in different metals to alloy the Karat gold you want. I can't remember which other metal was mixed in off the top of my head, but it is just a different recipe as it were for gold. What Alan was trying to impress upon us was that not all alloys were good to use. You had to know what you were going to do with the exotic gold recipes before you cast them. With purple gold you can do no more than just carve into it and reshape it via grinding and such. It is non malable and in Alan's eyes thus inferior to the regular alloys that you can beat, stretch and other abuse. I personally wanted to make some pieces using it. I can look the recipe up in my notes and I'm sure it is in some of my books if anyone wants the exact alloy amounts. In fact I drew up a pearl necklace sort of art novueaish with an orchid in purple gold and lotts of pearls and a few colored gems stones accented with white gold. I may haul that design out again now that I've met the pearl experts here and ...... with a pending trip to see Douglas' marvelous pearls.

[jerin]

Hi everyone and welcome to our newcomers!

I think there is a post somewhere on gold and it´s different colours. Gold is available in green, blue, purple, black - if I remember correctly. Just search under "gold".

[Valeria101]

Purple gold...

www.Gold.org has the techie bits and you may find more practical notes from a jeweler who works with the alloy (Click HERE).



I have never seen purple gold and pearls combined... but it could be nice. Since the alloy is so difficult to work, stone setting isn't obvious either - most design are modernistic, heavy, and play on variations of gold colors rather then matching with color-coordinated stones (although that sounds like an obvious idea, doesn't it!).

Since setting pearls is less metalsmithing-intensive, purple pearls could fit the bill.... Interesting (OK. maybe not the outrageous one above - other purples, there's no shortage)

Just keep in mind that the metal will have to be carved and turned - not worked into common jewelry shapes.

Some of those 'cherry' pearls 'round here are well worth some style innvation, methinks

[Pearlgully]

Originally Posted by Aggie.P

I can't remember which other metal was mixed in off the top of my head, but it is just a different recipe as it were for gold.

I'm pretty sure the other metal is aluminum. Purple gold is considered to be 18k because there is 79% gold in the combined alloy; although it is very beautiful, it's also quite brittle.


Gail

[pearlescence]

cor - anything purple or pink tends to float my boat but that is lovely. Thanks.

[aggiep]

Actually they have worked on the alloys for purple gold and some of them are not so brittle. In fact one former student of Alan's has the patent on severl variations that some of which are malable to a degree. As a metalsmith first then a jeweler, working with these alloys is not beyond me. I just want to be more sure of what alloys are best before investing in the gold to cast all of this. Oh and you can first cast the purple gold then recast another color of gold on top or next to it. I've done that many times so it sounds more and more doable. Darn now I've talked myself into another project.

http://www.utilisegold.com/jewellery...ecial_colours/

http://www.professionaljeweler.com/a...8/0498pm1.html

The last link has a great photo of a overlay of blue gold

[Valeria101]

Originally Posted by Aggie.P

As a metalsmith first then a jeweler, working with these alloys is not beyond me. I just want to be more sure of what alloys are best before investing in the gold to cast all of this. ...

Any chance for some pictures?

[eric-anandia-pearls]

PerfectPearls,

IMO, also consider what other pieces you're likely to wear at the same time so things "go together" (white with white, yellow with yellow). Do that, and it will be a cleaner look which enhances you and draws attention for the right reasons.

Eric Rautman
@ Anandia Pearls
http://www.anandia.com