Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

I’ve been reunited with an old friend - granulation. Granulation is a jewelry technique in which tiny spheres or shapes are fused to the surface of the piece. It requires a keen eye as there is a very fine line between fusing and melting the entire piece. I’ve done traditional granulation with the tiny balls (spheres) but became bored with it and frustrated because my pieces had a Byzantine look that didn’t match the rest of my work. Plus, it was just too “precious” looking for me. Fast forward to about two weeks ago when I rediscovered the technique and made it my own. Thanks to some inspiration from granulation god, John Paul Miller, I began granulating using shapes instead of spheres. The results, I think anyway, are very exciting. I’m currently working on a three-tiered brooch with enamel which I will post here when it’s finished. Below are some pieces I did recently. I oxidized the earrings so the shapes would “pop.” I included the quarter so you could get an idea of the size of granuals I’m using.

Tell me what you think! (good or bad)