[Jewelry making - Article 00988] - [Orchid] Shakudo approach

[Darin]

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Hello Orchid Community!

    I'm a hobbyist/design-enthusiast when it comes to many things
    (recently including jewelry), and I'm hoping I can run a few
    questions by you folks regarding Shakudo. 

    I read The Complete Metalsmith, and in it learned (in a brief
    description) about Shakudo. The Complete Metalsmith notes that the
    deep purple color on Shakudo items is achieved through oxidation on
    gold/copper alloys. 

    In researching Shakudo online, I discovered this page:
    http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/shakudo.htm (and Ganoksin and
    Orchid in general) which describes the coloration process as
    solution-based. 

    I tried using an oxidizing flame on a 10/90 gold/copper alloy, and
    did indeed get a light purple (lavender), and then a deep purple
    (through extended heating). For me, this was a big step forward - it
    worked! But over time (2-3 weeks), the color polishes off through
    normal wear (the first thing I made was a simple ring). 

    I'm wondering if I've used the wrong approach, or misunderstood the
    approach intended by The Complete Metalsmith. Is it possible to
    'color' this item without using any solutions? Or maybe my problem
    is simply 'sealing' the color I achieved through heating the metal
    flux-less, with something like an oil or wax (if so, what kind of oil
    or wax is advisable - is Turtle-Wax the best choice)? I've also heard
    of using a tin solder to 'seal' the color in (to create a
    polish-proof barrier between the oxidized metal and skin) - is this
    bogus in your opinions? Any other suggestions/ideas? 

Thanks!
Darin
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