Hopi Jewelry: Tufa Casting

Overview

Your workshop will start with selecting and preparing your Tufa stone for use. The stone you will work with is lightweight, easy to carve, and used for direct casting of metal designs. Once you have prepared your stone, you will get creative and carve into one of the flat surfaces inside the mold. Once you have carved your design, you will bind the Tufa stones with clamps and pour molten silver into the mold through a cone-shaped hole called the sprue hole at the top.

Once your piece has cooled, you will take it out of the mold and work to carefully clean, sand, and shape your work into your desired shape. Tufa casting generates a one-of-a-kind texture to silverwork that you will get to see firsthand after you pour your silver. Generally, most Tufa molds break after one casting due to the pressure and heat while pouring molten silver. This pouring technique makes Tufa cast jewelry a one-of-a-kind work of art.

Roy will allow students to focus solely on Tufa pieces or to experiment with both Tufa casted pieces and pieces that employ extra silversmithing techniques such as silver overlay. In addition, Roy will demonstrate additional techniques for making stamping tools and share personal insights and inspirations into his techniques throughout the week.

Beginning students will be introduced to the fundamental materials, processes, and techniques of silversmithing, and those with experience will be able to fine-tune their skills while mastering new techniques. Because students will work closely with Roy, the workshop is well-suited for students of all experience levels.

Note: With the many techniques in silversmithing covered throughout this workshop, you will be encouraged to start two pieces and focus entirely on finishing at least one to take home at the end of the week.

Additional Information