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I had a project in mind where I wanted to be able to carve through a thin opaque layer and expose a layer of colorful patterns below. This time I decided to create my own slab with these characteristics.
MAKING THE SLAB
I started with a 3.5mm slab of basanite. This material is an opaque black basalt. It is usually available from a few dealers and quite often it is used to make doublets and triplets. It polishes very well.
Next, I used a 4mm thick slab of Brazilian agate that had a carnelian background with bright red streaks. I drew a teardrop shape on both pieces and trimmed them to my desired shape.
Because I don't have a flat lap, I used a piece of window glass and tumbling grit to flatten them in preparation for gluing them together. I used 220-grit first followed by 400-grit. I sanded them down to an even frosty look with no pits or saw lines. I washed off all of the grit and let them dry.
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Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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This News is for the Birds
The amazing range of the would-be birds!
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CALIFORNIA MAGNESITE PLASMA AGATE
California magnesite plasma agate is a kaleidoscope of minerals. Much like its neighbor from Clear Creek, it contains chalcedony, serpentine, jadeite and chromite.
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HOW TO CREATE A CABBING MATERIAL
Even though Mother Nature creates almost unbounded types and numbers of beautiful materials for cabbing, often I struggle to find a slab that will work for the project that I want to do.
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PINWHEEL - VIET GEMS 149
I am frequently asked what my favorite gemstone designs are and where to find them. After my trip to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, I updated my list of favorites to include gemstone designer, Phan Thanh Trung.
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The widely acclaimed, 2023 Hollywood biographical movie Oppenheimer recently won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor (Cillian Murphy).
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Rhode Island's Hobbit Stone Age
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Amethyst in Southwest New Mexico
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