Granulation

< back to glossary
Granulation is the process through which small balls of either gold or silver are attached either to themselves or a metal surface without using solder; the Etruscans created fine examples of this difficult and delicate technique in the 5th and 6th centuries.

To create the balls of either silver or gold, the precious metals are melted in the form of filings with powdered charcoal. A mixture containing copper carbonate is then used to fuse the balls onto a metal surface to create an invisible join.