Zaffiro

Portland, OR

 

​We hand fabricate one-of-a-kind pieces featuring the ancient goldsmithing technique of granulation in 22kt yellow gold. Granulation is a decorative process that consists of applying minute spheres of gold to a surface of similar gold alloy and then heat- ing the entire piece to a temperature high enough to form a permanent bond between the surface and the spheres.
Starting with pure 24kt gold, we make our own 22kt gold alloy in sheet and wire. From the wire, we make 12 different sizes of granules (.15mm to 4.0mm) to incorporate into our designs. All pieces start with fusing, and many pieces also incorporate filigree, forging and repousse. Larger gemstones are bezel-set and smaller accent stones are flush-set within the granules themselves, a very delicate process. While a majority of our work is in 22kt yellow gold,we also granulate in our custom 22kt white and rose gold alloys as well as platinum.
In addition to the 22kt yellow gold elements in our work, many pieces also include forged sterling silver that we oxidize to a steely gray-black finish. 18kt yellow gold, that we also manufacture, is used in supporting roles such as ear wires and linkages.

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