Silver & Aquamarine Nightmare

[Dragoneye]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site and in dire need of assistance. It’s my Sisters birthday next week and her birthstone is aquamarine. I have acquired some very nice unfaceted milky pebbles and would like to cover part of them in silver clay. I have been looking on various websites for advice on torch firing aquamarine but most of the info I have found is on faceted clear gemstones and say that it is not suitable. Please, please can anyone tell me if my pebbles of aquamarine are safe to fire. Thank you.

[medusa]

you will wreck them. even lab emeralds have a tough time surviving a kiln. Maybe make the setting and glue the stones in?

[silken]

Hello :)

I don't really work with metal clay so I can't give a definitive answer but as far as I'm aware, aquamarine of all varieties is not safe to fire, whether that be torch firing or kiln firing. Even lab created aquamarine is problematic from what I've heard. Is there any way that you could make a setting for them and then set the pebbles after firing? Pebbles can look nice in simple prong settings. If you didn't pay much for your aquamarine pebbles and can afford to test one, this might be good to try but I wouldn't hold out much hope of it working. Aquamarine (part of the beryl family) is a brittle, temperamental stone and would most likely just shatter under the heat.

http://www.artclayworld.com/Tips-Techsheets/gemstoneTests.pdf

[silken]

Oh, Medusa beat me to it! ;)

[Dragoneye]

Hi everyone

Thank you all for your promp replies. I think you have convinced me to make a setting. I have a very good knowledge of gemstones but I am new to setting them in silver clay. As they say "everydays a school day". Thanks again.

[SilverBouillon]

I am new to setting them in silver clay.

I found firing chart (in pdf), hope it helps.
http://www.cooltools.us/v/vspfiles/assets/images/Article-Gemstones_In_Metal_Clay.pdf

[medusa]

Oh, Medusa beat me to it! ;)

great minds think alike :)

[Dragoneye]

Thank you to everyone who directed me to the firing charts. I'm a happy bunny, I can fire Tanzanite, my fav stone & Ruby, my birthstone. Have a good weekend.

[SilverBouillon]

Dragoneye,
Just be careful with torch firing anyway. This week I successfully turned shiny "diamond" cz into dull glass with over torch firing with silver.
I don't mind since I bought a bunch of lab created gems for practicing. Damaging nice natural gem would be upsetting.

[Dragoneye]

Oh no Lana, its so frustrating when things go wrong. I was given a pot of lab gemstones by a friend who cant make jewellery anymore due to illness. I have never used gems in my silverwork before so I will be doing a lot of practicing. It would have been nice to make the design I had in mind with the aquamarine but I think I have come up with something even better. I hope my sister appreciates it.

Anne