On The Rocks

Rainbow Obsidian

    So, I have been attempting to reorganize my workspace in an effort to get more done (HA!), and realized how much space was being occupied by piles of rock and miscellaneous lapidary equipment.
   I have a rather nice selection of rock, as you can see from this small sampling of photos. I had every intention of cutting them up into designer cabochons to use in my most unique line of jewelry, and aside from not liking all of the cleanup involved in post-cutting operations, I did enjoy the process of grinding and shaping and polishing.
                                      I did come to figure out that the lack of sufficient permanent workspace makes a big difference in my willingness to do something... My slab saw cabinet (with the 14 inch diamond blade) is tucked under a tarp in the backyard at the moment, in a rather bad place to be able to access. The little rock saw and grinder unit is stacked on top of it, and while much more portable, is a bit of a pain to have to drag out into the driveway when I might get the urge to get dirty. Can't do it in the backyard, which would risk getting the dogs all oily (and dog hair in my cutting oil). The polishing process involves yet other pieces of equipment which need setting up in a place where my silver stock won't get greasy or scratched with polishing grit, meaning the driveway, again.....
   If everything I wanted to utilize were already set up and ready to go, I would most likely use it.
   As it stands now, I am planning to trade most of my rocks to a couple of lapidaries for their labor in cutting a few nice pieces out of what I give to them. It will be sad to see all the pretty rocks go, but now I will have a place for my enameling stuff (which is continually being moved around in circles, since I've not had anyplace to permanently put it).
   The enameling supplies are considerably easier to
work with, and while there is some cleanup involved,

Imperial Jaspers

Chrysocolla, Turquoise and Amazonite

 it's not greasy and doesn't tear up your fingernails (not that I have much for fingernails to begin with, being a cellist).

Montana Agates

Charoite

 Speaking of enameling, I finally have a sad little trio of samples to post.....

Enamel On Copper

The big square was the layering experiment, and the small ones have only one layer front and back. I scribed a design into the copper on the small ones to see how transparent the colors would turn out, although as thin as the metal was I am thinking I may have over-fired the lot. Had some cracking as soon as the big piece began to cool too, probably from warping. I will try again with larger, heavier gauges of copper next.
   On the big square, I counter-enameled the back, fired one layer of clear on the front and then did a strip of black across the middle. After firing down a few flakes of 23kt gold leaf on one side, I then did strips of transparent colors over the clear and the black.  
   Amethyst, Cobalt Blue and Red were the three transparent colors, and only the red didn't turn out as I had expected. It looks pink instead. Don't know if that was from over-firing, or if I just have to apply a couple more layers to get a truer red. The same red on one of the little squares (over bare copper) looks more red but less transparent. Ahhh, well! Experimentation will apparently take some time. Onwards........................