[Jewelry making - Article 00222] - Re: [Orchid] Rainbow Calsilica - natural or manmade?

[Lee Einer]

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Hi, Rhona-

>     Rainbow Calsilica is definitely stone. Some lapidaries have told me
>     it occurs naturally near some turquoise mines; some say it's a
>     man-made conglomerate. I actually own a chunk of "rough" and it's
>     interesting material - very soft. 

    This begs the question; what leads you to believe that Rainbow
    Calsilica is a stone? How are you defining "stone?" It is reported to
    have some ground up calcite and silica in it, so I could go along
    with it containing stone, but as for its being a stone, it is hard
    for me to get there. 

    The presence of ground-up silica and calcite do differentiate it
    from Fordite, but other than that, and the fact that one man-made
    substance is accidental while the other is made intentionally, they
    are quite similar, I think. 

Lee
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