Keum-Boo, is an ancient Korean metal decoration technique which translates as ‘attached gold’. It is a way of diffusion-bonding 24ct yellow gold foil to silver.
The gold attaches through a combination of heat and pressure and can be used with a torch or a hotplate. When using sterling silver a thin layer of fine silver is first brought to the surface using a technique called depletion silvering. Keum-boo is a great way to elevate your silver jewellery by adding 24ct gold highlights. It can also be applied to small vessels and silverware.
This one-day course will guide you through the whole process and leave you confident to continue this technique in your own home or studio.
This course is open to both DCCI members and members of the public.
Course Overview
- Date: 7th August 2025
- Duration: One day; 10am – 5:30pm
- Last day to apply: 24th July
- Venue: DCCIA School of Jewellery, Sessions House, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, R95 X9Y6
- Number of participants: 7
- Fee: €264.21 (includes 24kt gold foil and fine silver)
Why Attend
- Keum-boo is an ideal way to add value to your silver jewellery and elevate your work. This technique can also add another dimension to your aesthetic, incorporating very small amounts of gold to maximum effect. Alongside teaching Sandra Wilson creates her own collections of jewellery using the keum bo technique with silver and gold recycled from E-waste.
Learning Outcomes
- Use a torch/ hotplate safely and efficiently to attach gold foil to silver jewellery / objects.
- Create shapes and patterns for decorating using different tools eg punches, sizers, craft knife etc.
Confidently create finished jewellery/ objects with 24ct gold embellishment. - Upon completion learners will be able to:
Carry out depletion silvering on sterling silver to bring the fine silver atoms to the surface. - Finish pieces of sterling silver jewellery made before the course with keum-boo.
- Know the different ways that pieces with keum-boo can be finished/ coloured.
Who Should Attend
- Professional Jewellers wishing to up-skill, students of jewellery, and jewellery enthusiasts.
- Introduction to depletion silvering for sterling silver.
- Exploration of different ways to cut the gold foil.
- Introduction to using the hot plate.
- Add foil to your own pieces that you have brought with you to the course and or create a small pendant piece.
- Finishing and colouring your silver pieces.
Know Your Instructor
Sandra Wilson is professor emerita of ecological metal design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design part of the University of Dundee. She works with precious metals recovered from electronic waste and promotes frugal ways of working like keum-boo with increasingly endangered metals such as gold. Her award-winning work has been exhibited internationally and has been featured in Crafts Magazine, Metalsmith magazine and a new book by Hole and Corner called Make Well.
Her unique approach to recovering precious metals from electronic waste has also been featured in a BBC Scotland video. Her research practice is supported by various UK research councils, the Daiwa Foundation and the Endangered Material Knowledge Programme of the British Museum. Sandra has taught jewellery & metal design all levels of study at DJCAD part of the University of Dundee for over 20 years.
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