by Carl Rundle
February 2012

“I have been working in cabochon cutting and doing silver work for some time but mostly using either black or olive green jade,” writes February Lapidary of the Month Carl Rundle, of Pasadena, Maryland. “I wanted to incorporate jade with silver and an opportunity came up to learn about precious metal clay (PMC) at the Patuxent Lapidary Guild. The instructor thought the design that I came up with might be a little difficult for the first-time user of PMC, but I am always jumping in with both feet on things that I want to accomplish.

“I was told that the PMC shrinks about 25% when fired in the kiln. The PMC object comes out as .999 fine silver. I started with a piece of dark olive-green jade. I cut two oval cabs. The first one was 30.5mm and the second one was 24.2mm. I shaped and polished both cabs. I wanted to make my wife something special for our 43rd anniversary. She is into butterflies, and I wanted to combine jade with silver. I used a metal butterfly pendant and made a mold of it. I then filled the mold with PMC and put it on a small hot plate to dry it thoroughly before firing. If it is not thoroughly dry, the PMC will explode in the kiln.

“Once dry, the PMC is removed from the mold. I then proceeded to sand, trim and cut where needed before putting the object in the kiln. You save all the filings from your trimming and put them in a small jar with a drop of water to keep them moist. This is the silver solder that you will use to solder your pieces together.

“I was then able to use the smaller cab I had cut. I rolled out PMC and used a cap the size of the larger stone to make the PMC round for the backing of the pendant. This was also dried and baked in the kiln. I used a doming block and punch set to shape the butterfly to fit the smaller cab. I soldered the backing on the underside of the butterfly so that the small stone could slide in between the two pieces. I used a small dragonfly mold with PMC, dried it on the hot plate and baked that in the kiln also.

“I used a round piece of sterling silver wire and hammered it flat to use as a loop for the chain. The flat piece of silver was soldered to the back of the round piece. The small dragonfly was then soldered to the end of the flat piece of silver. The stone was placed in between the round piece and the silver butterfly. I used round-nose pliers on the flat silver piece to bend it to form a loop with the small dragonfly on front which holds the jade in place. I used diamond bur drills to drill out two small holes in between the two butterfly wings. I then set two red rubies into the holes.”

1. The mollusk family includes clams, octopi and squid.

2. In medieval times, snakes were associated with the devil.

3. Legends about Hilda and Cuthbert were used to explain why the “petrified snakes” had no heads.

4. Before the ice ages, the sea level on theUnited States’ East Coast was higher.

5. The term bivalve describes mollusks with two opposing shells.

This month’s winners received
a specimen of carnelian from  
Madagascar, generously donated
by the  Mineral of the Month Club
(www.mineralofthemonthclub.org).

MINERALS NAMED AFTER PLACES QUIZ ANSWERS

1. Amazon River, Brazil      amazonite

2. Franklin, New Jersey      franklinite

3. Muscovy (part of modern Russia)      muscovite

4. Danbury, Connecticut      danburite

5. Mount Vesuvius, Italy      vesuvianite

6. Tanzania, Africa      tanzanite

7. San Benito County, California      benitoite

8. Island of Cyprus      copper

9. Brazil, South America      brazilianite

10. Labrador, Canada      labradorite

11. Island of Elba, Italy      elbaite

12. Andalusia, Spain      andalusite

13. Boleo, Baja California      boleite

14. Autun, France      autunite

15. Kern County, California      kernite

16. Magnesia, Greece      magnetite

January 2012

Collector’s Guide to the Beryl Group, by Robert J. Lauf
Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310, (610) 593-1777; www.schifferbooks.com

February 2012

Gems and Minerals: Earth Treasures of the Royal Ontario Museum, by Dr. Kimberly Tait
Firefly Books Ltd.,  (800) 387-5085; www.fireflybooks.com

Cenozoic Fossils II: The Neogene, by Bruce L. Stinchcomb
Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310, (610) 593-1777; www.schifferbooks.com

“My project started with an end piece of jade (jadeite) that I found many years ago in Clear Creek, California,” writes January Lapidary of the Month Christopher Wertenberger. “A member of my rock club offered a class on carving stones using an arbor unit. In 40-plus years of doing lapidary, I had occasionally carved lines onto the top of my cabochons, but not to the extreme of using an arbor unit.

“The first step I took was to mark where I wanted the ridges on the top of the cab with a marking pen. I used the edges of an 80 and a 220 diamond hard wheel to grind it into the shape I desired. I found it difficult to work the stone using a Genie unit, due to the wheels being so close together. I took the stone home to work it on my Lortone units, which are spaced 1 1/8 inches apart. When doing this type of carving, you must use caution because the adjacent wheel can catch your stone and throw it.

“After shaping the stone, I used 220, 400, 600, 1200, 1800, 3000, 8000, 14000, and 50000 diamond flex wheels to remove all scratches at each stage of sanding. The Clear Creek jade will start to take a shine at about 1800 grit. To finish up with a higher polish on the carving, I used my end wheel with a leather pad that protrudes 1/8 inch from the wheel[. AND Alumina “A” polish ?] is used for the final step of the carving.

“Since I have been a silversmith for about the same amount of time that I have been doing lapidary, I decided to make a simple setting for the stone. I decided to use 24 gauge sterling silver for the backing, a standard 1/8-inch bezel wire to hold the stone, and a 4 gauge low-dome wire for the bail.

“The first step in creating the silver setting was to fit the bezel wire around the stone, mark it where the ends met, solder it with hard solder, and then dip it into the pickling solution for cleaning. Then, I placed the bezel wire around the stone to ensure that it was the same shape as the carving. Removing the bezel wire from the stone, I placed it on the 24 gauge backing and soldered it with easy flow solder. When that was done, I placed it back into the pickling solution for cleaning. Next, I used three pieces of scrap silver to make some small nugget shapes to enhance the mounting. I soldered them on with easy flow solder and the piece went back into the pickling solution for cleaning. Now it was time to trim away the excess backing down to 3/16 inches away from the bezel and nuggets. The final steps were to solder the 4 gauge low-dome bail using easy flow solder, then put it back into the pickling solution for the final cleaning.

“After oxidizing (or blacking) the mounting, I used the buffing unit with bobbing compound to remove the firescale and unwanted oxidation. This gives the project a 3D effect. For the last step of the polish, I used Zam compound to give a high gloss finish. Now it was time to set the carving into the mounting, which is done last so that the lighter-color jadeite will not be discolored by the Zam compound. To finish off the project, I hung the pendant on an 18-inch silver link chain.”

DECEMBER 2011 QUIZ ANSWERS

1. Needlelike rutiles are called “Venus hair” crystals.

2. Bundles of rutile fibers in minerals like corundum create the optical effect known as asterism.

3. Brilliant white powdered rutile is used as pigment in paper, plastics and paints.

4. Soapstone is soft enough to be carved into animals and bowls.

5. “Herkimer diamonds” are a kind of quartz crystal.

December winners received
a specimen of hubnerite
with needle quartz, generously
donated by the Mineral of
the Month Club
(www.mineralofthemonthclub.org).

NOVEMBER 2011 QUIZ ANSWERS

1. Chalcopyrite and pyrite both have the elements iron and sulfur in their chemical formulas.

2. Chalcopyrite crystals are tetrahedral (four-sided) in form.

3. Tarnished chalcopyrite has a colorful iridescent sheen.

4. Tufa and travertine are soft and hard varieties of limestone.

5. Petrified objects have become covered with stony material.

November winners received
a set of four commemorative
pins from the Denver Gem &
Mineral Show.

December 2011

Geology Underfoot in Yellowstone Country, by Marc S. Hendrix
Mountain Press Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806, (406) 728-1900;
Info@mtnpress.com; http://mountain-press.com

November 2011

What’s So Hot About Volcanoes? by Wendell A. Duffield
Mountain Press Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806, (406) 728-1900;
Info@mtnpress.com; http://mountain-press.com

October 2011

What’s Hot in Tucson 2011: Gems & Jewelry
BlueCap Productions, 578 Washington Blvd., Suite #307, Marina del Rey, CA 90292; www.bluecapproductions.com

September 2011

“A Field Guide to the Gemstones of the Pacific Northwest”, by Rick Hudson
Harbour Publishing, P.O. Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada V0N 2H0; www.harbourpublishing.com

“Oregon Underfoot”, “Agates of the Pacific Coast”, and “Agates of the Oregon Coast”, by K.T. Myers and Richard L. Petrovic
Facets Gem & Mineral Gallery at P.O. Box 714, Newport, OR 97365, (541) 265-2514; www.4facets.com

August 2011

Caerhays Castle, by Charles Williams, Peter Herring, Jaimie Parons, Courtenay Smale, and Stephen Terrell
Pasticcio Ltd., Bosvathick, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall, England TR11 5RD

Roadside Geology of Missouri, by Charles G. Spencer
Mountain Press Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 49806, (406) 728-1900; www.mountain-press.com

July 2011

Collector’s Guide to the Tourmaline Group, by Robert J. Lauf
Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310, (610) 593-1777; www.schifferbooks.com

June 2011

Petrified Wood of Oklahoma, by Neil H. Suneson
Oklahoma Geological Survey, Information Series 14, 2010
OGS Publication Sales Office, 2020 Industrial Blvd., Norman, OK 73069-8512, (800) 330-3996; ogs@ou.edu

May 2011

Famous Mineral Localities, Mineralogical Almanac Vol. 16, Issue 1
Mineralogical Almanac Ltd., Box 71, 117556, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: minbooks@online.ru
Mineralogical Almanac Ltd. USA, 10896 Beloit Pl., Lakewood, CO 80227

Collector’s Guide to Granite Pegmatites, by Vandall T. King
Schiffer Publishing Co., 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310

April 2011

Mineral Perspectives: Thumbnails, Vol. 1 DVD
BlueCap Productions, 578 Washington Blvd., Suite #307, Marina del Rey, CA 90292; www.bluecapproductions.com

Earth magazine
The American Geological Institute, 4220 King St., Alexandria, VA 22302, (703) 379-2480; www.earthmagazine.org

Meteorites, by Caroline Smith, Sara Russell and Gretchen Benedix
Mike Millar, Firefly Books Ltd., 66 Leek Crescent, Richmond Hill, ONT L4B 1H1 Canada, www.fireflybooks.com

March 2011

Chrysanthemum Stones, by Thomas S. Elias and Hiromi Nakaoji
Floating World Editions, Inc., 26 Jack Corner Rd., Warren, CT 06777, (800) 252-5231; www.floatingworldeditions.com

Roadside Geology of Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., by John Means
Mountain Press Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806, (800) 234-5308; info@mtnpress.com; www.mountain-press.com

February 2011

The Mineral Art of Hildegard Könighofer
BlueCap Productions (distributor), 578 Washington Blvd., Suite #307, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, (310) 856-9882; www.bluecapproductions.com

Chain and Bead Jewelry: Geometric Connections, by Scott David Plumlee
Watson-Guptill Publications, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; www.watsonguptil.com

January 2011

Carving a Jade Bangle, Featuring Deborah Wilson
MarZee Lapidary Tutorial DVDs, 63 Park Hill Ave., San Francisco, CA 94117; marzeetutorials@znet.com; http://marzeetutorials.com/
Correction: $25

Turquoise: The World Story of a Fascinating Gemstone
by Joe Dan Lowry and Joe P. Lowry
Gibbs Smith, P.O. Box 667, Lavton, UT 84041, (801) 544-9800; Jking@Gibbs-smith.com; www.gibbs-smith.com

“As I was cutting a large piece of Pasco Marble,” writes December Craftsman of the Month Homer Barrs, of San Diego, California, “I laid two slabs together and saw an ice-covered pond on Mount St. Helens with the dead trees, bare rocks and snow. I had a picture and no idea of how to show it off. So I let it sit.

“Years later, I cut several slabs of pink quartz that I had dug at the Hogg mine in Georgia and, as I was looking at them on a lit glass viewing table, I saw that they looked a lot like a sky with streaky ice clouds at sunset. At the time, I could not figure out how to show them off, either. Kim, a member of the San Diego Lapidary Society, suggested that I use glass to hold the pieces together and make a picture.

“I decided to combine the two ideas and make a shadow box. I had a great deal of trouble getting the pink quartz slabs to stay together as they were cut, but I found that taping the face with clear 2-inch packing tape kept them together. If they broke, it would be easy to superglue them back together. After several attempts to smooth up the edges of the twelve slabs, I learned to bevel the sides at 45º, and by flipping the slabs over and moving them up and down, I could have a seamless cloud across the picture. I also used my 8-[inch] facet lap to smooth out the edges.

“Next, I cut the glass panes for the box frame. The back pane was 1/2 inch wider, but only 7 inches tall. I used 1-inch tape to make a barrier around the slabs to keep the epoxy from flowing out.

“I placed the glass panes on two large cardboard boxes so that I could get beneath them and see if any bubbles were created as I placed in the slabs. I also needed to make sure the slabs were properly aligned. I kept the slabs in order as I removed them and poured in 1/8 inch of Parks Super Glaze epoxy. I used a hand torch and fanned the flame over the glaze to remove any bubbles. I replaced the slabs in their former order by placing one edge down first and lowering the slab slowly with a small wire to prevent any bubbles from being trapped between the slabs and the glass. The slabs started to separate on their own, so to prevent this I quickly taped them together and in place. When the glaze was cured, it held the slabs together and prevented the necessity of polishing the slab faces.

“I placed the completed panes in the frame I had made. It was nice, but the only time you could enjoy its sunset was when it had light behind it. I found a small (½ inch by 7 inches) light wand used in computers and installed it behind the second pane. Voila! my winter scene at Mount St. Helens crater.”

Publisher Contact Information

Geology Underfoot in Yellowstone Country, by Marc S. Hendrix
Mountain Press Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806, (406) 728-1900;
Info@mtnpress.com; http://mountain-press.com

OCTOBER 2011 QUIZ ANSWERS

1. The three traditional categories of meteorites are based on nickel-iron content.

2. Chemical signatures help scientists determine the origin of some meteorites.

3. Arkansas diamonds occur in a volcanic pipe .

4. Bauxite is an ore of aluminum.

5. Amethyst, milky and rose are all types of quartz.

October winners received a
grab bag of mineral and
gem specimens.

Which Does Not Belong? by Darryl Powell

1. Amethyst Milky Elbaite Rose
All these, except elbaite, are varieties of quartz.

2. Pyrite Quartz Galena Gold
All these, except quartz, have a metallic luster; quartz is vitreous, or glassy.

3. Copper Silver Gold Muscovite
All these, except muscovite, are metals.

4. Biotite Feldspar Muscovite Lepidolite
All these, except feldspar, are mica minerals.

5. Emerald Heliodor Ruby Aquamarine
All these, except ruby, are varieties of beryl.

6. Azurite Malachite Cuprite Galena
All these, except galena, are copper minerals.

7. Fluorite Sulfur Diamond Mercury
All these, except fluorite, are native elements (elements in uncombined form).

8. Grossular Jasper Pyrope Almandine
All these, except jasper, are varieties of garnet.

9. Galena Pyrite Fluorite Calcite
All these, except calcite, crystallize in the cubic system.

10. Corundum Talc Gypsum Calcite
All these, except corundum, are on the low end of the Mohs Scale of mineral hardness.