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Gold and kintsugi ?

Often called the art of resilience, the art of kintsugi is a traditional technique in Japan. When objects break, they are repaired with gold, to highlight the cracks instead of hiding them. This creates beautiful scars. You want to know more ? Come to Gold Union to ask all your questions! Our gold buying experts will also show you our entire stock of investment gold bars and coins. You can come and meet us with or without an appointment.

WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF KINTSUGI ?

The term kintsugi comes from the word “kin”, which means “gold”, and “tsugi” which means “joint”. The art and philosophy of kintsugi refer to resilience and the acceptance of injury. A broken object can be repaired, and kintsugi does not seek to erase the traces of the past, but to accept them. Thus, the broken vase is highlighted with the golden joints, symbols of the life of the object.

This philosophy of reparation adapts to life, trials and human thought. Indeed, transposed to individuals, kintsugi offers a means of transforming trials into strength, to move forward on the path of life. Furthermore, accepting challenges and one's own imperfections allows one to take stock of oneself, to know oneself, and to identify one's strengths in order to bounce back and move forward.

This is the strength of the philosophy of kintsugi, to repair and make a new start. Golden powder enhances broken vases: the philosophy of kintsugi helps us heal our wounds and accept them. We repair ourselves, and we allow ourselves to be imperfect. It is therefore the beginning of the healing of the soul, the mind, the spirit and the body. 

HOW TO RENOVATE AN OBJECT WITH GOLD ?

You broke a porcelain bowl that you held dear ? Want to please your grandmother by repairing one of her ceramic vases ? It's time to call on the kintsugi technique, to highlight the flaws in these pottery using gold powder, and sublimate them. The kintsugi technique requires dexterity, but even a patient beginner can do it easily.

To carry out this repair, start by gathering all the pieces of the broken dishes. Also wear gloves, so as not to touch the resin directly with your hands. You will need two-component epoxy resin for ceramics, a plastic plate, wooden spatulas and a fine brush. Complete kintsugi kits are available on the market.

Then start by preparing the resin, adding a little gold powder. The dough should be very homogeneous. Then weld the pieces of broken crockery together using the resin. When it holds, take the brush to apply a little gold powder to the still fresh resin. Let it dry, then display your repaired, resinated and sublimated objects! 

Want to know more about the gold powder used by the kintsukoroi method ? Visit one of our Gold Union stores to come and meet our experts. We will answer all your questions about this philosophy of Japan and help you