Well, I finally got a barrette made with a herkimer diamond. I am pleased with how it looks but the Herkimer did crack a little in the process. The crack is hard to see but it is across the center of the stone and I am very aware of it.
I will find a glue that works with the Herkimers and the polymer clay. That way I can design the barrettes and then add them to the clay after baking.
This afternoon I put a small chip of Herkimer in the clay oven at the temp that I bake polymer clay at. I put the piece in a white paper box that I made for it. (I was concerned that it might explode undet heat and damage the oven.) I let the oven warm up like I do when I use it for clay, added the Herkimer and left it in there for over an hour. That is longer then I usually cure my barrettes but there have been times that I have forgotten them in the hot oven for longer.
There are no damage to the Herkimer chip. It looked just like it did when I put it in. So this test is a success.
I have not tried to cure polymer clay with a piece of Herkimer in it. I will do that test tomorrow. I am thinking that I will create a barrette that uses the Herkimer Diamond as an accent. That way, if the clay and Herkimer “survive”, I will have a barrette to wear and show off.
So I guess it is on to the design table and I get to play!
I have many questions about using the gems that I found in North Carolina and the Herkimer Diamonds. I need to do some resource before I include them in barrettes.
I have questions about how well the stones will handle the heat if I bake them with the polymer clay. I know that some gemstones will change colors under heat but I am not sure of how high of temperatures need to be. I am not sure how to attach the gems after the clay is cured. I need to find glues that won’t discolor or harm the stones or clay.
I do plan on experimenting with the Herkimers and the oven. I am going to put one of the small chips that I have in the oven while I am baking barrettes. That will tell me if the Herkimers will handle the heat with out cracking or changing colors. I know that when mining the Herkimers, they can crack when you open up a vug. (A vug is what the “holes” that the stones are formed in.) The quick temperature change affects them. But will the temp of the oven do that as well? I have not found any information on that, so I just that I need to experiment on my own.
I will keep you all posted on the experiments and what I find out.
Well, I thought that I could handle going back to school and keeping up with the blog but then I had some medical issues also hit me. I am mended, school is going great and I am back in the craft room creating.
The spring my husband and I tried some mining. After watching the show “Cash and Treasures” on the travel channel, we thought that that might be fun and I could use the gems and stuff in my creations. So far, we have been to Hiddenite North Carolina and to the Herkimer Diamond mine. I have lots of coll stuff to play with!
I really enjoy the finding of the gems but I have to learn more about how to identify them. I know that we returned from Hiddenite with emeralds, amethyst, tourmaline, rose quartz, smoky quartz, topaz (white and blue), citrine and garnets. There are others that we have figured out what they are yet but will someday. I also have many pieces of Herkimers that will end up on a barrette soon.
I am also learning how to wire wrap jewelry and make necklaces and earrings when I get better at it.
There will be many new things coming soon.
Well, after trying the rubber bands on the tumbler form Harbor Fright and having the piece that holds the band in place be destroyed, my husband went to have it replaced. When we had bought it, we paid the few dollars extra for the extended warranty. The clerk at the store asked if my husband wanted to replace it or get his money back. Without talking to me, he got the money back and then came home a ordered a two barrel Lortone tumbler.
I was upset at first, I had a bunch of stones tumbling that I wanted to finish polishing and know I could not finish them. Earlier we had gone an a trip to Hiddenite, North Carolina and done some digging, sluicing, and creeking for raw gems and I wanted to see how some of the “ugly” ones turned out when they where polished.
Now that the Lortone has arrived and the rocks finished. I am very glad that my husband did what he did. I still have to figure out how to use the gems in my barrettes but I have many ideas and will be figuring out what works and looks the best.