[Frit Diva]

I have been fuming with both gold and silver for 18 years, and I've never had even a headache from fuming. This is because I have GOOD ventilation and I NEVER use anything that is not pure gold or silver. What Cosmo said is exactly what I do, and with a small amount of practice you can do that same. Fuming is not a difficult technique, it just takes practice. But please, NEVER heat impure metal to the point of vaporizing, it can be very dangerous. "Pure" means fine silver (NOT sterling) and 24K gold.

Just for clarification ~ most silver coins are not fine silver, they are sterling at best (92.5% silver), probably more are "coin silver" which is about 80-90% silver, the rest unknown, lower melting alloys which help the silver to melt and behave better, but have unknown health side effects. Certainly brass and copper, possibly cadmium, zinc, and who knows what else. Dental silver is bonded with mercury, as is dental gold. Same with gold, 24K gold is the only pure source of gold. 22K is close to being pure gold, but it isn't pure. If you feel that 22K adheres better, ask yourself what might have beem been added to change the properties of the metal.

PLEASE DON'T FUME WITH IMPURE METALS! It's very unsafe

Vapors readily cross the blood/brain barrier, meaning they go in your respiratory tract and directly to your brain without benefit of digestive filtering. Please do not take chances!


Jo

Climbing down off my soapbox now! I just want all our glassy folks to be safe...