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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Raku and traditional stone mounting.

I have been reading and making and firing and making and glazing...ceramics  are addictive. I am a sculptor at heart and this medium makes it possible to create fairly quickly and actually I feel like a little kid again. The freedom to play in mud and have something interesting at the end is very satisfying. I call this one "Home is where the Heart is.)

Fall always makes me think of Halloween or Sam Hain, All Souls or Dia de Muertes. And celebrating with little skulls is part of the tradition...Fall festivals in general reflect the passage of time and people...these little grinning head bones aren't frightening to me just fun. About the size of a quarter in two tones of glaze.

My favorite so far is this little lady with a classical white crackle glaze and copper/blue/silver hair.

I am having fun with little houses as well. This one features a tree and a snowy yard. The windows glow with cheery warmth of the copper iridescence.

Now on to the jewelry...stones are available in many colors from sources all over the world. I prefer to work with synthetics most of the time. My preference is for man made gems that are the real chemical composition as the mined ones but perfect in cut and clarity and color.From the left is a hydrothermal quartz,four CZs and a ruby.

The package tells the story on composition...Ruby Corundum...that means its real...not a simulant but red corundum. It will test as a real ruby and needs to be labeled correctly when it is sold.

Even with the high price of silver it is possible to work with this type of ring. The mounting is less than $20 and the stone...in this case a deep amber cz 15mm round brilliant was $3. It can sell for around $90. The mounting is called a pre-notched, snap set. That means you don't need a setting bur to cut the seat, that has been done for you. You just set the ring on the bottom of the stone on a flat firm surface...

And push straight down until the stone snaps in place.

Once set the tips of the prongs need to be bent over the girdle to secure the stone and to minimize a prong catching. A final polish and cleanup and its ready to sell or adorn your hand. The stone came from http://www.wire-sculpture.com and the mounting from http://www.jamminggems.com

2 comments:

  1. Harry,

    Everything is wonderful!!! The face is still my favorite....so far:) I know you have amazing things to show us as you get used to this new medium. It is truly addictive!!! Can't wait for you to share the CZ in clay:)

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