For more than 5000 years, craftsmen and engineers have smelted, forged and hammered metals to create fantastic works of art and decorative structures, but exploding metal prices in recent years have cast a dark cloud over metal as a creative medium. Designers and architects, who appreciate the textures and looks of metals, have been prohibited from using metal in their designs except when working for the richest of clients.

Today, however, a new metallizing process is returning the luster to metals. Copper, bronze, stainless steel and other metals are again glistening the surfaces of interior design space and architectural features, thanks to the innovative and affordable process by LuminOre Inc., which can transform practically any surface into metal.

“The BBC recently reported that copper prices are at an all-time high, and thieves are raiding homes and hospitals for copper piping. Nickel prices have also skyrocketed, driving stainless steel prices to record levels,” says Thomas Valente, president of LuminOre Inc. “But, our cold-sprayable process can affordably turn almost any surface into a beautiful, one-of-a-kind metal surface at a fraction of the cost of forged metal. Metal prices are no longer a barrier, and LuminOre has opened the doors to design creativity.”

Comprised of up to 75 percent metal, LuminOre’s composite metals applies seamlessly over any surface and have gained world-wide praise by design professionals who have embraced the metallizing process showcased at billion-dollar resorts, such as The Bellagio, The Mirage and the new Wynn Las Vegas.

“We absolutely love working with LuminOre metals,” says Darryl Irvine, owner of Las Vegas Awnings and official applicator of the LuminOre® metallizing process. “The VIP bronze entryway at the Wynn Las Vegas is a great example of LuminOre’s versatility. There would have been no feasible way to structurally support the awning if we had made it of solid bronze. But LuminOre provided a real bronze look and a lightweight solution. The results look fantastic.”

LuminOre is available in aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, iron, nickel-silver, stainless steel and other metals. For more information on LuminOre or LuminOre products or on how to become a LuminOre Training/Distribution Facility, contact Ms. Kelly Luyet at 760.597.9201 or visit www.luminore.com/.

Creating a distinctive symbol that unifies the people of Anaheim, Calif., and Mito, Japan, Fabrication Arts of San Diego crafted a visual masterpiece featuring Oriental style and LuminOre metal composites.

Erected outside of Anaheim City Hall as a part of the city’s Mito Garden and Pathway to Friendship, the one-of-a-kind structure rests atop a base of solid granite with polished stainless-steel beams and decorative bronze and stainless steel panels supporting an immaculate copper archway that appears forged of solid copper. However, since forged copper can be a budget-buster in even the most well-funded project, Fabrication Arts used a unique copper metal composite made possible by the patented LuminOre® cold-spray metallizing process.

“We were very pleased that LuminOre metals were selected for this unique, City of Anaheim project. Fabrication Arts provided highly skilled artists who could create a functional sculpture out of all natural materials in a unique and imaginative manner, and we provided the metallizing process that made the whole project timely and cost-efficient,” says Thomas Valenta, president of LuminOre Inc and founder of the LuminOre metallizing process.

Since 1984, the cities of Anaheim and Mito, Japan — located 70 miles north of Tokyo — have enjoyed an annual student exchange program. Mito and Anaheim high school students are hosted by local families and enjoy the life style and educational opportunities as well as local site-seeing interests. The Wada Family, owners of a doll factory in Mito, presented an Imperial Doll Collection during a delegation visit in the spring, 2004. The collection is displayed in the Sister Cities’ display case located on the first floor of City Hall near the Council Chamber’s entrance. Mito Garden and the Pathway to Friendship are located in front of the Anaheim City Hall where names of Anaheim Sister Cities Association (ASCA) sponsors are inscribed on bricks that lead into garden.

Fabrication Arts’ expert craftspeople work with exotic as well as conventional materials to produce signs and environmental graphics that are both unique and effective. LuminOre, a patented cold metallizing process that seamlessly applies cold sprayable metal to almost any surface, allows their craftspeople to give almost any substrate the appearance of being a solid cast metal object without the weight or cost. Their manufacturing also includes pieces that require custom welding, wood working and acrylic fabrication.

For more information on LuminOre or LuminOre products or on how to become a LuminOre Training/Distribution Facility, visit www.luminore.com or contact Ms. Kelly Luyet at 760.597.9201.