Some techniques simply decorate a surface.
Others transform the way your work is perceived.
Granulation is one of those rare techniques that immediately communicates artistry, patience, technical mastery, and intention. There is something captivating about a surface built from hundreds of individually fused spheres. The eye instinctively recognizes that this wasn’t stamped, cast, or mass produced.
It was crafted.
For over 5,000 years, from the ancient Etruscans to contemporary master metalsmiths, granulation has remained a hallmark of extraordinary craftsmanship.
And perhaps that’s because granulation is more than a technique.
It’s sculpture. It’s texture. It’s metallurgy. It’s history.
If you’ve been searching for a technique that both connects your work to an ancient artistic tradition and elevates it through a level of skill, finesse, and artistry that few makers pursue, then granulation may be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Because granulation doesn’t simply add texture. It creates distinction.
It becomes part of your artistic voice.
And in a world where so much jewelry begins to look the same, granulation remains one of the rare techniques that truly sets your work apart.
And in a world where so much jewelry begins to look the same, granulation remains one of the rare techniques that truly sets your work apart.
Perhaps you’ve tried.
You’ve watched videos.
Read books.
Purchased expensive granules and maybe even experimented with gold.
Perhaps you’ve successfully fused a few granules only to watch the next dozen melt into the surface, flatten, shift, or simply refuse to fuse at all.
You’ve likely been told that granulation is mysterious. Temperamental. Something that only works if all the stars align.
But the truth is that most artists aren’t struggling because they lack skill.
They’re struggling because nobody explained what is actually happening.
Granulation isn’t simply about placing tiny spheres of metal onto another piece of metal.
It’s understanding why the metal behaves the way it does.
And that’s precisely why I don’t teach project classes.
Because if you only learn the steps, you’ll never fully understand why something failed—or why it succeeded.
If all you do is memorize a series of steps, you’ll never fully understand why something failed—or why it succeeded. And without that understanding, every attempt can feel like starting over.
But when you understand the “why” behind the process, something remarkable happens.
You begin to anticipate what the metal wants to do.
You stop hoping it will work.
You know why it works.
And that’s when granulation transforms from a frustrating, unpredictable process into one of the most rewarding techniques you’ll ever learn.
It’s understanding:
● Why eutectic reactions occur
● How copper influences alloy formation
● Why certain alloys succeed while others fail
● How flame chemistry changes outcomes
● Why atmosphere matters
● How movement, timing, heat, and observation work together
Without understanding the “why,” granulation feels like gambling.
With understanding, it becomes mastery.
• How to create granules efficiently—both in production quantities and on demand—in both silver and gold
• My “secret source” for purchasing pre-alloyed 18kt granulation gold
• How to alloy your own 22kt, 21kt, and 18kt fusing golds (honestly, this information alone is worth the class)
• Techniques for placing granules with precision, including numerous tips and tricks developed through years of experimentation
• The metallurgical principles behind eutectic fusion—how to encourage interalloy formation between the granule and baseplate while preserving the beautiful meniscus that defines true granulation
• How to repair, reshape, reposition, and salvage granules when things don’t go according to plan
• The reducing torches that provide the greatest success with granulation, including the German Blow Torch and the EZ Orca Propane Torch
We’ll also discuss alternative approaches including trinket kilns, acetylene systems, and select butane torches, along with the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of each.
Granulation is one of the few techniques that simultaneously communicates history, rarity, technical mastery, and artistic intention.
If you’ve been searching for a technique that truly sets your work apart…
If you’ve wanted to create jewelry that immediately communicates mastery, artistry, and intention…
If you’ve long admired historical granulation but believed it was beyond your reach…
I want you to know that granulation isn’t reserved for the master goldsmiths of the past.
It belongs to any artist willing to understand the “why” behind the “what.”
Because that’s where true transformation happens.
Not in memorizing steps.
Not in following recipes.
But in understanding what the metal wants to do and learning to work with it rather than against it.
Together, we’ll explore one of jewelry’s oldest, most captivating, and most technically rewarding techniques.
And perhaps, along the way, you’ll discover that the technique you’ve been searching for all along was forged in fire over 5,000 years ago—and still has the power to transform how your work is seen today.
I hope you’ll join me.
— Tonya
And if that's not enough, I've got even more in store for you! When I teach there is never enough time to deliver everything I want to share with you. So I will be releasing to you, as a BONUS, several pre-recorded videos of important support materials.
But there's more! You'll also receive an exclusive invitation to join our closed/private forum. Here, we'll engage in live and recorded discussions, fostering a vibrant community of like-minded artisans.
**$240 value for one year
Your access to me will extend for six months after the class in our community forum. As a group of beginner to advanced artists, we can continue to support each other long after the class concludes.
My ultimate goal is for you to complete this class not only with a wealth of new techniques and knowledge but also overflowing with inspiration and creativity. Your toolbox will be brimming with new tools, and I can't wait to witness what you'll create with these newfound skills and insights. The journey ahead promises to be truly remarkable!
I hope you’ll join us. More than a class, this is an invitation to become part of the Forged Maker Circle—a community of artists committed to growing together. Long after the live sessions end, you’ll continue learning, asking questions, sharing your work, celebrating breakthroughs, and receiving encouragement from people who genuinely want to see you succeed. I’ll be there every step of the way, because great makers aren’t built in isolation—they’re forged together.
I find that it’s hard to classify a person as a beginner or intermediate student. You might be intermediate in some areas and beginners in others. You might even be advanced.
This class is for anyone who wants to learn more about fusing, metallurgy, heat control, granulation, and alloying metal.
Take what you are ready for and let the rest go. You don’t need to master all things presented. It’s perfectly okay to take a class and be able to implement 30-40% of it and then as you practice that, you can try the remaining 60% of the material.
My best advice is to attend live classes and be engaged. Connect with me visually by being on camera. Take excellent notes. Within 48 hours revisit the class or your notes. Things that do not make sense need a revisit. You’ll then have the video to watch it again and again for 60 days after the last class (Sept 25th EOD). Post your questions on the private community and try to make a little progress every day during those 60 days.
It is live AND recorded. Live sessions will be through Zoom. Recordings will be posted within 8-12 hours (or as soon as we can get them up) to the Online Learning Platform at courses.tonyadavidson.com.
Catch up when you can and post your questions on the private community forum. You have 6 months to get all your questions answered and 60 days (Sept 25gh End of Day) to watch the videos as many times as you’d like.
Within 8-12 hours the classes will be uploaded to the Online Learning Platform (courses.tonyadavidson.com).
You will be able to view the classes there 24/7 for 60 days or until Sept 25th EOD. They are not downloadable.
If you need extra time, it is available for a monthly fee of $50. When a class is retired or cannot be extended again, an announcement will be made, with a one month notice.
All classes are held at 4pm PT
4pm PT/ 5pm MT/ 6pm CT/ 7pm ET/ Midnight London
2 Sessions:
May 11th and 14th
**You do not need to be present for any or all of the LIVE classes. The classes will be posted to the online learning center for you to watch anytime that is convenient for you. You’ll have plenty of time between classes to catch up and you can ask any questions on the group which I will promptly answer.
There may be additional impromptu LIVE videos and recorded videos broadcast and posted on our Group.
In my opinion…it’s actually better.
That may sound like a bold statement, but it’s rooted in how people learn.
Educational research has long demonstrated the Forgetting Curve—without review, we forget a significant portion of what we learn within days. That’s one of the biggest challenges with traditional in-person workshops. You spend an incredible weekend learning, take pages of notes that seem perfectly clear at the time, and then months later those notes become “shelf help”—they sit on a shelf, rarely revisited, and often no longer make complete sense.
This class is designed differently.
You’ll attend live, interactive sessions where you can ask questions in real time, but you’ll also have access to professionally recorded videos that you can watch again and again. Every review strengthens your understanding, reinforces muscle memory, and allows you to catch details you may have missed the first time.
I’ve invested heavily in making the online experience better than simply pointing a webcam at a workbench.
Classes are filmed using eight high-resolution 4K cameras, professional lighting, and one of the industry’s best microphones. You’ll see multiple perspectives simultaneously—from the movement of my hands to extreme macro close-ups of solder flowing, metal moving, textures forming, and stone-setting details that are often impossible to see clearly when you’re standing 6–10 feet away in a classroom.
Perhaps the greatest advantage is that you’ll be learning at your own bench, with your own tools. You’re building muscle memory in the exact environment where you’ll continue creating after class. You can pause, rewind, practice, and repeat a technique immediately instead of trying to remember it weeks later.
And you’re never learning alone.
Questions don’t stop when the live session ends. Between classes, you can post questions in our community, and I’ll be there to help. My goal isn’t simply to teach you a technique—it’s to make sure you truly understand it and can confidently use it long after class is over.
That’s why I believe this format doesn’t just match an in-person workshop—it surpasses it.
For granulation you will need a reducing flame torch to induce the atmosphere for fusing.
What is a reducing torch?
1) a single fuel torch (propane or even butane or acetylene). No duel fuel torches like propane/oxygen or acetylene/oxygen.
2) you want a large bushy flame that is capable of making a billowy dress form over the metal. This means it needs to have a large tip on it.
So what is the best torch?
-the German Blow Pipe (disposable propane)
-the EZ Orca (disposable propane)
**Neither of these are expensive and are completely safe and portable
What can sometimes work but can have a lot more failure?
-the acetylene + ambient air
-large flame butane torch
After you sign up, you’ll have access to a comprehensive tool and supply list within days.
These are tools that I personally use. You might have something similar and that’s fine. You do not need to buy all the things, however I have been in so many classes where one of the tools the instructor used often was not on the list. I felt that my ability to do the task was hindered because I didn’t have it. So all my fave tools for the task will be on the list and if you want to wait to see if you want to buy it, that’s fine.
Please remember that I used to own a jewelry tool and supply company for 10 years and was a senior instructor for Rio Grande. So I feel like I have tried nearly every tool possible. I probably bought it too. I don’t recommend tools unless I know they are the best. Sometimes it an inexpensive tool and sometimes it’s costly. If it saves me time and makes the job enjoyable, it’s a good tool. I know that down the road I can sell them because good tools increase in value.
For a basic overview, you’ll need:
-your basic metalsmithing tools
-basic granulation kit or the premium assorted granulation kit from Tonya’s website or a brush, copper salts, granulation glue and metal of choice
I do recommend you wait until class is over to place orders because you might find that you don’t need the tool. This is NOT a work along class.
There are limited kits available for this class. You can also buy the salt and glue ala carte. There will be kits available with assorted manufactured granules or you can make your own. I do not require you to purchase from me.
You should have plenty of time to place orders prior to class but keep in mind that sessions are NOT work-alongs. You will be working inbetween sessions and then during the 60 days after the last session.
You will not feel the pressure to work as you do with most classes for fear the instructor disappears after the last session. I’m in it for the long-haul to mentor you through the work and growth!