Tutorial: ‘Ruby Gold & Silver Beads’

[Allison Turner]

Tutorial: ‘Ruby Gold & Silver Beads’

This is a technique I came across by experimentation, as have many beadmakers before me, and I wanted to share it here for those of you who've asked me about it. The basic effect comes from combining Ruby Gold (Rubino) and pure silver, for an interesting reaction. I am calling these “Ruby Gold & Silver Beads”!

Play with different patterns and colors. Just remember that Ruby Gold and silver is what gives the effect of all those wonderful peacock-like greens and blues. If you don't want to see the pink, then lay it down first and cover it up with another color, leaving the greens and blues to be admired.

Now this is how I made THESE beads....



*Amethyst base, either medium or dark, it doesn't matter.
*Cover in silver foil or leaf and burnish well.
*You can burn off the silver if you want but I don't for these.
*Dot with Ruby Gold as though you were going to make triangle beads.
*Put another small dot on the side of the Ruby dots using a thin stringer of cobalt blue or ink blue.
*Melt in completely
*The reaction with the silver and ruby gold pops!
*Add a dot of transparent light lavender blue on top of the last melted dots.
*Melt in completely
*Finally I added raised dots using transparent amethyst.
*I struck the pink one more time and popped it in the kiln.... and there ya go!

*Done! lalalalalalalaala

Of course try other transparent colors, blues, topaz, striking red! I wasn't successful with some green colors --but experiment to find your own look! A dot of pastel pink under the Ruby Gold will make it even more brilliant, and less dark.

Try different patterns--scrolls and stripes! Make a focal, smoosh it flat! Whatever, just run with it!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Allison Turner]

In this next set, I paid careful attention to what I was doing.

*I did NOT burn off the silver leaf until the end.
*I used a strip of silver leaf the length of the sheet and 1/4" wide. The entire strip went on one bead.
*Burnish the silver to the bead well.
*I made my ruby dots medium sized, rather than very large.
*I worked cool until it was time to melt it all together.
*After I melted it all down, I added another ruby dot on top of the melted ones, because I wanted the pink to pop.
*After melting in the last ruby dots, I added transparent teal dots.
*I then struck the pink one more time.
*No blue was added to this set.



I found that if you melt the silver off first and/or you work hotter, you will get more green and it will be darker.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some examples of other’s work and how this technique can look so different from artist to another. Each one is unique and absolutely beautiful!

Thanks to the following artists who let me use their photo's as examples!

**Harriet (Kybeadmaker)
”Lauscha Prussian blue base with all of Allison’s color suggestions on top, plus a lot of foil and then encased. Some have a dark. amethyst base plus copper green, which for some reason gave the whole bead a metallic look.”


**Leslie (3SistersBeads)
“There is no ruby gold in these beads. It's silvered EDP all the way. Black beads, dark amethyst on some, striking orange transparent and transparent aqua or green on some, ink blue or clear on some.”


**Jill (kcotori)
Jill's variation, dotted with ink blue.


**Paula (gypsysoul)...
“A base bead of Lauscha medium blue transparent, heavy silver foil burnished well and slowly burned off to leave a field of very fine silver dots. Big rubino dots almost melted in. Cover rubino dots with Moretti dark lavender transparent, melt everything in, trying to stay cool to keep the rubino red. (This one I really love because it lets the light shine through quite a bit!)


**Jill (Jillie Beads)
“I encased a white rod with ruby gold, applied silver foil and pulled stringers.


Amy (dark13ootique) aka ‘Torch by Night’
“Rubino, ink blue and amethyst”.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are some examples of other base colors and accent dots. I will now leave this up to your imagination!

Enjoy!







~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you!!



I want to thank everyone for the great response to my original post on this...
and mostly I would like to thank Valorie Cox for all her time and great proof reading she provided!! Your the best!

[dark13ootique]

I voted a big ole FIIIIIVE on this one! And it's bookmarked! Thanks for putting this all together, Allison, and thanks to everyone who helped!

[LLane]

Thank you Allison........... great job!!!!

Lois

[GinnyHampton]

Thank you for being so kind and sharing your technique. I'm proudly wearing a watch I made for myself using your guidelines .. I just love it

Thanks again.

[sarakay]

Thank you for sharing this fun technique, Allison. I love everyone's beads!

sara

[alyx]

Gorgeous beads, everyone. I can't wait to try this technique. Now, if I could just get a little free time....[sigh]

Alyx

[llnelson]

Thank You Allison, they are just gorgeous. Everyone on here is so willing to share, you are all awesome!!!!!!!!!


Lona

[Happy Beader]

Thanks! Allison, For sharing with us. They are beautiful along with everyone elses. This is a good example of taking an idea and making it your own.

Thanks again!!
Teresa

[goatherder]

These beads are soooooo wonderful !!!!!!!!!! A bit off my skill level at this time but I am looking forward to being able to do this! Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jewelia]

HOLY SCHMOLY......Allison those are beautiful beyond compare..what a kind soul you have to share the technique with all of us and to be sooo encouraging...thanx and hugs...gotta go try it with some hollows and see what happens...big ol' HIGH5 for you!!!
Julia

[DonnaB]

Woo Hoo! Five Stars and a bookmark!!!

THANK YOU.

This is a technique I can actually see myself trying. Many techniques I don't even try, because I have poor dot and stringer control.

THIS is right up my alley!

Isn't this just tiny glass art at it's best? Light and color!

[beadamaniac!]

Wow! All those beads are stunning!
Speaking of silver and rubino, does anyone know why this happened? These 2 beads were made exactly the same way: silvered ruby stringer over ink blue, then reduced. For some reason the bead on the left didn't turn metallic. Did I cook it too long? By the way, I did this on a Quiet Torch. I never could get the reduction effect on my hothead.

[McDuck]

WEll one day when I get some silver leaf, I will have to try it! Awsome tutorial! yeah -mary...errr...mcduck...who now has akiln in chicago

[Allison Turner]

Thanks everyone!!
This has been such a shock for me. The concept is quite simple really, it's all in how you want to interpret it into your work.
The striking red has a really pretty look also. Just play.

Keep that flame cool.

beadamaniac!...Ruby doesn't seem to like single fuel torches much. It seems to soak up all the carbon.
Turn down your flame and work farther out. It will be slower going but worth the effort.

Now lets see some pretties!!