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Lapidary Crafting and Jewelry Making
Creating jewelry, including the cutting and polishing of gemstones as well as mosaics, casting, and carving
496 Questions
How do you use Evans Lapidary Machine?
Assuming you're referring to a rock tumbler made by the Evans company, it is best to follow carefully the instructions that came with the machine. Tumble-polishing gemstones is a very simple and inexpensive, yet time consuming hobby. The drum is partially filled with stones, preferably of similar hardness, then water and grit is added. The drum is sealed and placed on the rollers, which spin it slowly. Time required depends on the hardness of the stone used. Several different grit stages are used, with finer and finer grit, followed by the polishing stage. Books have been written on the subject, and there are superb and comprehensive websites out there; rocktumblinghobby.com is highly recommended.
Where do you get red jeweler's rouge?
This would be available at any jeweler's supply store, search online for one near you, have you heard of google?
How can you determine your girlfriends ring size without going to a jeweler or asking her?
- If she has very small hands and fingers then buy her a size 5 (jewelers can cut the ring down two sizes if it's too big.) If her hands are fairly large or close to the size of your hand then you can get a size 8 or 9 and have the jeweler cut the ring to fit her. Be sure to keep your bill of sale from the jeweler you purchase the ring from. Another way is to go to the jewelry store and if you see a sales woman there look at her fingers and see if you can find a sales woman with the close to the same size of hands and fingers as your girlfriend.
How do you cut abalone laminates?
First I want to confirm, that 'abalone laminates', - is it the same meaning as abalone or paua shell laminate? If they are, in general, there are three ways for cutting them.
They are:
1. Use craft stanley knife or very sharp scissors
2. High speed fine edge blade saw eg router , diamond blade or veneer blade
3. Laser cutting, very precise, detailed designs logos, inlay work
Where can you buy a jewelers loupe?
This would be available at any jeweler's supply store, search online for one near you, have you heard of google?
DM is the maker's identification. 925 silver refers to the fact that the item is made from 92.5% (or 925 parts per thousand) pure silver.
What does the gold mark aa1 mean?
It is a makers mark for sure. I forget what the acronym stands for. "American Aesthetics" or something like that. Usually found on gold or silver tones jewelry. I have a Mickey Mouse earring set that has AA1 Disney stamped on the back
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What can you use instead of grunge board?
"Grungeboard" is a paper based product touted as a leather replacement. With its vulnerability to water, and low life expectancy, I'd suggest that almost anything would be a superior replacement; from leather to plastic, rubber, copper, silver, gold, fabric, etc. If you're entranced by the idea of partially water soluble, disposable "jewelry", you could try making your own "grungeboard" by painting colorful paper, fashioning it into a bracelet, and soaking it in diluted glue, varnish, or some other clear coat.
What are some popular diamond engagement ring setting types?
Some of the most popular settings used in engagement rings are:
- Prong - Two or more prongs are wrapped around the crown of the diamond to hold it in place. This is also known as the "claw" setting.
- Shared Prong - A variation of the prong setting, stones are held at the girdle by shared prongs. The final prongs on both sides are used to push the stones together against the shared prongs found in between.
- Channel - Several stones are lined up and held in between walls of metal
- Bar Channel - A variation on the channel setting, stones are held at the girdle by shared walls. The final walls on both sides are used to push the stones together against the shared walls found in between.
- Pave - Usually used to hold many small stones together for an encrusted effect, the diamond is set low using small metal beads.
- Bezel - Metal rims hold the diamond in place by the girdle.
How can you tell if a moldavite is authentic?
Short answer: in all practicality, you can't. Long answer: The stuff is glass, easily and abundantly faked. Examining material collected by an expert might give you an eye for the real stuff. Museums occasionally have identification days where they answer the public's questions. Sending it to a meteorite expert, or a lab for analysis, might provide an answer, assuming there's something unique about the stuff that will clearly point to it's meteoritic impact origin. The cost of analysis will greatly exceed the value of the moldavite. All of the above keeps me shy of moldavite, it's just too dodgy.
How much is a amithist the size of a thumb?
Value depends upon many factors.
Is the amethyst a crystal, or a facetted gem, or a broken mass?
Transparent or opaque?
Fractured or flawless?
Pale or dark purple?
From a classic old locality, or one of millions from Las Vigas, Mexico?
Perfect, or damaged? Terminated?
Dull or lustrous?
On matrix or off?
Synthetic or natural?
If a gem, native cut for yield or master cut for brilliance?
If a gem, by-the-ton Brazilian or from somewhere more unusual, like Georgia?
How do you glue a stick to a stone to polish it?
There are as many ways of fastening a gem to a dopstick as there adhesives, all have their pros and cons.
Facetting or cabbing???
Epoxy, CA, wax - (red, green, or black) - wood glue, water glass, Goop, etc.
The factors are ease of use, ease of removal, and whether the stuff will hold or not. None are perfect.
Old school is wax. New school is gel CA (Cyanoacrylate - superglue) and epoxy.
All I can say for sure is that metal dopsticks and epoxy work great for my cabbing. Heat the metal, well away from the stone, with a very thin flame from a micro torch, when the glue gets warm, wiggle the stone off, clean up with a razor blade. Practice makes perfect. Epoxy & wood dops = major pain. Wax is a joke. Using solvents? Read the label carefully, watch for the word "carcinogen".
For best results, consult local lapidaries, try different stuff, and learn from experience.
Where can I melt down my old wedding band to make another?
To convert or reconstruct a piece of jewelry, or to melt down the metal to make something else, you will need to get in touch with a manufacturing jeweler in your area.
Arranging for this kind of work online is not a good idea, not just from a security point of view: your personal input is important.
Ask any reputable jeweler in your area; they will certainly be able to tell you whether they can do the work or, if they can't, they'll be able to refer you to a jeweler who can.
Don't entrust the work to any unqualified person; at best you will very likely end up with something you don't like and, at worst, you could lose the original ring through incompetent work.
What is the best finish for metal handmade jewelry?
We make handmade jewelry from copper and use clear acrylic finishes that are used for autos.
Cool, school, tool, pool, drool, mule, duel, fool, who'll, gruel,
Mule.
