Stabilizing Turquoise
MoncurMV
method for stabilizing turquoise without alot of expensive machinery/materials?
Is there a preferred resin?
Jed
Marblesnet
basically filling fractures or tiny spaces with a normally solid substance like
wax or plastic. These must be applied in liquid form (usualy melted), and then
allowed to solidify. By themselves, impregnations are nearly colorless. A dye
can be added to turn pale turquiose bright blue. Plastic impregnation usually
improves the toughness, too.
Be aware that if you are planning to sell these stones that the FTC has rules
regarding gemstone enhancments and you will need to make a point of disclosing
the fact that they have been treated. This shouldn't be any kind of detterant,
since turquoise is a stone that is routinely treated in this way and you can
emphasize the toughness factor.
Here's some more facts regarding:
Care and cleaning: Avoid heat and solvents. Clean only with warm soapy water.
May be discolored (usually green) by perspiration, skin oils, or cosmetics. If
wax is used, it may pick up dirt and discolor. Birthstone for December and 11th
wedding aniversary. Want more turqoise tricks? Try these:
Dyeing with liquid black shoe polish imitates a matrix. Easily removed from
areas with acetone-soaked cotton swab.
Backing thin pieces with with an epoxy adds thickness, strength, and weight to
pices too thin to be cut otherwise. Usually stable, but may separate from
backing.
Filling cavities with a metal-loaded epoxy, usually a yellowish "pyrite" color
to imitate pyrite inclusions. Thsi method is not as common as the others.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-b-e-a-d-s-o-n-t-h-e-w-i-r-e-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Aire Sign Jewelry Design
Uniquely Beautiful<>Hand-Wrought
Marbl...@aol.com
Internet catalogs:
http://members.aol.com:/airesign
http://members.aol.com:/marblenet
Greg Miller
will work with turquoise.(Rio Grande tools-page 21)
MoncurMV <monc...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:thqphssj6vc32laid...@4ax.com...
Mike S
>Does anyone have any information on stabilizing chalk turquoise? Is there a
>method for stabilizing turquoise without alot of expensive machinery/materials?
>Is there a preferred resin?
>
>Jed
A simple at-studio solution would be a thin CA (cyanoacrylate) glue.
This is the same as super-glue, but has a much thinner consistency.
The stuff really moves into cracked areas of most materials. Hot
Stuff red label would be a good choice.
Cheers,
Mike S.
http://home.earthlink.net/~stevens4000/
DMorton567
Stabilizing turquoise *properly* does not involve Opticon or cyanacrolates or
anything else you can buy off the shelf. It requires special equipment to apply
the correct heat and pressure and the resin used seems to be a closely guarded
secret.However there is a home brew method that might produce acceptable
results for you depending on the condition of the stone you are using. Get a
glass jar (a mason jar or spaghetti sauce jar or whatever) and mix up a 50/50
solution of Sodium Silicate and tap water and then drop the stones in there
close the top and let soak for 2 weeks, shaking up or tumbling the rocks around
every 2 or 3 days.This will allow the solution to penetrate the rock in ways
that epoxies and glues generally cannot. Then after 2 weeks remove the stones
and let sit for a couple of days till dry. Then put a piece of aluminum foil on
your cookie sheet, arrange stones on the foil and place into a cold oven. Turn
the oven on to 350 and leave it for about an hour. Peek inside the oven after
an hour and if there is no more bubbling on the surface of the stones they are
done. Turn off the oven and let the stones return to room temperature inside
the oven and you are finished. Okay here comes the disclaimer: I have used this
method to treat chalky Azurite with some good success but cannot vouch for the
long term stability of this method. While the Sodium Silicate bakes up nice and
hard and produces decent cutting material from previously unusable chalk, I
feel that long term repeated exposure to moisture and body oils and chemicals
and such *may* eventually attack the SS and cause it to pit or etch. That is
only my guess and not scientific fact but I would never put stones treated in
such a manner into the marketplace even with disclosure due to my doubts about
long term durability. But if you want to use the stones for your own projects
or gifts or whatever then this method is inexpensive, practical and easy to
accomplish.
Good Luck,
Derek
Ron Arney Sr.
If we are really talking chalk, as in "blackboard grade," It would be
advisable to at least preform the material. Then dry it out, either by
letting it set in an oven at no more 275 degrees for an hour or so, or
by letting it set over night in a plastic bag with silica-gel. And if
at all possible, introduce the resin under vacuum.
That's just my <g> anecdotal 2 cents.
Ron