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Moonstone and sunstone, seemingly opposites because of their names, are in reality closely related members of the feldspar family. Formed when hot magma solidifies underground, feldspar makes up about 60% of the Earth's crust. It's found worldwide in one form or another. Mineralogists have identified at least 40 varieties of feldspar.... (2002) Complete Story
Granulation is the process of fusing tiny metal spheres of silver or gold, in a decorative pattern, to a surface of the same metal. It is an ancient technique that produces a beautiful, delicate effect. When making Granulated jewelry, all connections are fused instead of soldered.... (2001) Complete Story
Granulation involves placing and fusing tiny balls of silver on the surface of the backsheet in a preplanned design. The mixture of Hide Glue, flux and water is used to temporarily hold the granules in place until they are fused.... (2001) Complete Story
Firescale has been the scourge of sterling silver casters since the first silver was poured into a mold. It has been a thorn in the side of silver fabricators. Fortunately there are ways to prevent fire scale while silver soldering. This paper describes a simple, inexpensive method of preventing fire scale during vacuum casting.... (2005) Complete Story
Historically gem possession has been reserved for wealthy, royalty, or high religious leaders. It has always been human nature to want what others possess, so imitation gems have been common for some 4,500 years, in the form of glass, plastic, composites, and treated gems. It is not against the law to imitate, as long as the true identification is given. It is only fraud when imitations, natural or synthetic, are passed off as a more valuable gem at an inflated price.... (2001) Complete Story
