adding Texture in Jewellery: Granulation

Granulation 101: How to Add Texture and Style to Your Metal Jewelry Designs

As a jewelry maker, do you ever find yourself just obsessed with a particular style or design motif? For me, pretty often over the past few years, it has been granulation. I love dots in general; polka dots on clothes and housewares are such happy, stylish designs, classic and youthful in nature. I read somewhere that circles or near circles are the most pleasing shapes to the eye, whether found in nature or applied in purposeful design. 
So it's no surprise that I love granulation in jewelry. It's interesting to me that most of the granulated jewelry I see is antique or estate, sometimes very antique ancient museum jewelry. But I'm starting to see it more often in modern designs. I see liquid enamel dots in enameled jewelry designs. I see textured dots and circles hammered into metal, and the soft-solder jewelry craze is full of fun little accent dots. But more and more recently, I'm seeing modern artisan jewelry with a granulated, dotty texture.
Granulation is defined as the "act or process of granulating." More specifically, granulating involves using a flame to turn tiny bits of metal into granules or tiny balls (originally pure gold), and then fusing those tiny balls (or soldering, in some cases, if you're using the term loosely) onto a back plate or base jewelry design. While the term "granulation" isn't as old, granulated jewelry as much as 3,000 years old is known, most originating in what is now Italy.
Granulation provides style, interest, and eye-catching places for light to rest on a design. It's also a wonderful way to add texture to metal jewelry designs. Many of the granulated jewelry designs I see are of the older variety, and that sometimes makes it feel like it's a technique beyond reach for less experienced jewelry makers. Not true! Especially not with Argentium sterling silver. 

You know that Argentium makes the most perfect little balls when you're creating balled head pins, so naturally Argentium forms perfect balls, minus the head pins. 
Original Source and more information: https://youtu.be/mVCAOppp3cY

More information about my collections on sale in: movilla-jewellery.moonfruit.com