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Electroformed Beads
For those of you that aren't familiar with it, electroforming is the process of depositing a metal, such as copper, onto an object to create a sturdy metallic structure (thank you to Janelle Zorko for that definition!). The pieces to be electroformed - in this case the beads or pendants - are first painted with copper paint in the areas where I would like the metal to be deposited. Without getting too detailed the beads are suspended in an electroforming solution that is connected to a rectifier that supplies the electrical current which allows the copper molecules to move from the copper anodes to the copper paint on the object to be electroformed. This process can take several hours up to several days! It can provide a relatively smooth finish or a very nubby textured one. I usually add a patina after the process is done to give a more organic look.
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