18 Karat Gold
Even if it has been lying for 500 years in an old shipwreck at the bottom of the sea, it does not lose its magnificent and radiant shine.
Soft, heavy and alive in its own way. For thousands of years it has been the ultimate symbol of power, wealth and divinity. Yes – we are talking about gold.
Through time, jewellery and other decorative objects made in gold have been found in innumerable royal tombs belonging to Sumerian emperors and Egyptian pharaohs. The fascination for the enduring gold is unreduced today and the demand for gold Trollbeads continues to increase. There were already 200 silver beads in the collection at the time when Lise Aagaard decided to make the first bead in 18 K gold. The gold bead was sold within one week. Since then the gold beads became a permanent part of Trollbeads’ collection.
MATERIAL
The nobility and purity of gold is measured in carats. Pure gold is 24 K. Usually gold is mixed with copper, which allows for a warm, golden colour. For all our gold beads we use 18 K gold – the perfect balance of purity and strength. The foxtail bracelet and necklace is made of 14 K gold. The gold beads are stamped with the hallmark LAA 750. This means that 750 units out of 1000 are pure gold. Each gold bead has its own price, which is determined by weight.
MAKING GOLD BEADS
Gold Trollbeads are made by the same technique as our silver beads. They are carefully crafted by hand, mostly by the 3,000-year-old technique ‘cire perdu’ or ‘lost wax’. This method allows for fine details to be reproduced from wax to precious metals.
The process starts by sculpturing the design in red wax. Hereafter a plaster model of the sculpture is made. Gold granules are then heated in a small bowl, melted and poured into the plaster cast, filling out the model nicely. When the gold has solidified, the plaster is submerged in water, resulting in the plaster to disintegrate and the gold figure can be removed. When the gold bead has cooled off it is rinsed, renovated and polished.
TWO-TONED BEADS
Beads that are combined of both silver and 18 K gold are called two-tone beads. They are stamped with LAA925s, because the hallmark is based on the metal of lowest value. In this case silver. Making a two-toned bead involves more craftsmanship than creating a bead in just one metal. Therefore, these beads are more expensive.
GOLD AND SILVER LEAF
Gold or silver leaves are encapsulated in several of our glass beads. These leaves are made of pure gold or pure silver. By hammering or rolling the metal, it is reduced to a thickness of less than 0.001 mm, which makes it easier to work with in combination with glass.