Textured flexible sheet of precious metal

Abstract

The material and method for making a textured flexible sheet of a precious metal involves using a precious metal paste, having a consistency whereby the precious metal paste may be brushed onto a textured surface, to create a thin and flexible precious metal veneer. The precious metal paste is applied to a textured surface and allowed to dry, becoming a veneer sheet of a precious metal material having a flexible, leather-like consistency. Once dried, the precious metal material is removed from the substrate in the form of a flexible precious metal veneer having a textured surface. The veneer retains the properties of a precious metal material from which it was made, including amount of shrinkage and range of firing temperatures. The precious metal veneer can be formed into, or applied to, an article of jewelry or artwork or another article, and sintered to become a piece of fine precious metal.

1 . A precious metal material composition, comprising: 
 a powdered precious metal;    a binder;    water; and    glycerin;    wherein said powdered precious metal, binder, water, and glycerin are combined to form a homogenous flowable precious metal material.    
   
   
       2 . The precious metal material composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said binder is an organic binder.  
   
   
       3 . A method of forming a flowable precious metal material composition, comprising the steps of: 
 softening a quantity of precious metal clay with a first quantity of glycerin solution; and    mixing said softened precious metal clay and said glycerin solution together to form a homogeneous flowable precious metal material.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , said softening step further comprises the step of forming said quantity of precious metal clay into a plurality of small pieces.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said mixing step further comprises the step of adding a second quantity of glycerin solution to said softened precious metal clay.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of at least about 0.14M.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of between about 0.14M and about 2.0M.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of at least about 0.55M.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of between about 0.55M and about 2.0M.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of between about 0.55M and about 1.54M.  
   
   
       11 . A method of forming a textured flexible sheet of precious metal, comprising the steps of: 
 applying said flowable precious metal material to a textured surface of a substrate;    allowing said flowable precious metal material to dry, thereby forming a veneer sheet; and    removing said veneer sheet from said substrate.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of sintering said veneer sheet to form a thin sheet of a precious metal having a surface pattern formed by the textured surface of said substrate.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of combining a quantity of precious metal clay with a quantity of glycerin solution to form said flowable precious metal material;  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of at least about 0.14M.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of between about 0.14M and about 2.0M.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of at least about 0.55M.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of between about 0.55M and about 2.0M.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said glycerin solution is an aqueous solution having a molar concentration of glycerin of between about 0.55M and about 1.54M.