[Jewelry making - Article 00240] - Re: [Orchid] Vintage turquoise jewelry repair

[MillsGem]

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    Yours is a sticky wicket problem......matching old Turquoise is
    always a problem. The color of old Turquoise is a product of
    absorbtion of human oils. Natural Turquoise always has a generous
    propensity to be porous and will readily absorb all oils, especially
    that which comes from human sources.....nose oil, hair oil etc.
    There are a number of mines which produce naturally occuring green
    turquoise, but I doubt that any of them would exactly match oiled
    Turquoise. I suggest that you contact any of the jewelry supply
    companies in New Mexico....chances are that they will have
    replacement stones in stock. Indian Jewelry Supply is a likely
    company. Cutting a cab oif this type is not that difficult.....you
    merely flatten a piece of rough Turquoise and glue it to the end of
    a wooden match stick and use a Mizzy abrasive wheel to rough shape
    it. You then prepolish it with a fine sanding disk. The final polish
    is accomplished on a jewelers buff using Zam. The first two steps
    are easily accomplished using a flexshaft tool.....no need for
    lapidary equipment. Setting the stone is best done by putting a
    little bit of fine wood sawdust in the bezel cup to elevate the
    stone properly. The bezel is rolled using a simple rocker tool. 

Ron Mills,
Mills Gem Co. Los Osos, Ca.

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