[Jewelry making - Article 01773] - Re: [Orchid] Power tools or handwork with amber

[R . E . Rourke]

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    once you understand that amber is a gum resin,like gum arabic,
    myrrh, copal ,frank incense etc. it should occur to you that they are
    heated to relese scent- ending up as a bubbling pool of plant based
    material on a charcoal ember or hot metal,wire, etc,. They can be
    heated and mixed yielding an array of different exotic aromes, and in
    some cases medicinal compounds, or melted and poured into moulds,much
    as you would barley sugar candy or a boiled sweet: transparent, and
    glossy in its natural state - provided you have heated the mass to
    the appropriate temperature,and not overdone it.. carving it, shaping
    it, embedding things in it ( the current trend is embedding scorpions
    in a combination of amber and any inexpensive gum available arabic
    most commonly),using it as a cap as for doublets,etc.,is popular,and
    more importantly sells to the mainstream -untrained for the most
    part- that desire variety in colour, shape,design,and believe that
    the mosquito inclusions are potentially,ancient, and that the
    crackled effect in some offerings are different varieties,from
    different lands- it's simply marketing and the recycling of waste
    from natural materials,or completely fabricated to look and smell
    (somewhat) like the real thing.. So, motorized tools smear the gum
    when heated- either water quench every minute or so, or use an
    alcohol lamp, and heated carving tools,gravers - razor sharp and
    highly polished, and consider rtv moulds as an option for production
    work..motorized tools even micromotors,and high torque low speed
    units aren't suited for working with most gums ( eliachi being an
    exception,and dragon's blood another- though brittleness and chipping
    are the trade-off with those examples).because if the burs, etc.
    available for use ( unless carving them with 3/23 diamond burs that
    are specifically made to produce finest detail work)..A gravermax is
    an option- but how many beginning jewelers can afford that
    set-up?..so think like the ancients that used it and think of wht was
    available pre-electrification..make what you can out of found objects
    and use the alcohol lamp as a fire polish..but FOREMOST is to learn
    the properties of amber..so buy some cheap,unrefined rough, melt it,
    mould it, form it like sculpting material,make test tiles of
    different temperatures, and different thicknesses, try cutting it
    with as many different things as you can think of.ignite it and
    record how you accomplished it. and what worked best to remove the
    carbonization..or just buy pre fabbed cabs! 

    If you need or want more info feel free to contact me off list.. and
    if anyone wants to download a marvelous tool for learning all you
    need to know about 1500 plus plant based by-products the perfumers
    workbook, is the best freeware tool around.Not only will it help you
    learn many essential plant based materials and their chemistry,uses,
    safe and unsafe combinations, but it lets you craft your own
    formulas, preparations and experiments -analyze and save them, submit
    them (To marketing interests and chemists) rework and patent your
    creations..fun for the ever-curious... 

    www.*perfumers*world.com/software/freesoft.htm 

    It is of course, spam free, scam free and free to thee! So learn
    your stuff, make some insect repellant and learn why patchouli oil
    never dies! 

R.E.Rourke
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