In this article, I hope to present a very simple description of electroforming. In his book, Jewelry: Concepts and Technology (New York, NY: 1982, Doubleday), Oppi Untract defines electroforming as the “process of synthesizing a metal object by controlling the electrodeposition of metal passing through an electrolytic solution onto a metal or metalized form.” Very simply, a metal skin can be built up on a metal surface, or any surface that has been rendered electroconductive through the application of a paint that contains metal particles. This differs from electroplating basically because the skin is much thicker and can exist as a self-supporting structure if the original matrix is removed. (more…)