Working with Coal

[mari eluned]

I have been commissioned to create a pendant using a a piece of coal within the design. Any tips on what type of coal to use, setting coal, cutting, polishing ect would be very handy!

Thank you very much, Mari

[Goldsmith]

Ask your customer if you can use Whitby Jet as it is usually classed as the gemstone equivalent of coal.

James

[Dennis]

If you find an irregular piece, you might consider a variation of this setting, which I used for broken safety glass, as it is easy to adapt. in this case for ear studs.

[LydiaNiz]

I was wondering if there is an alternative - coal is so fragile. We use some in 'naughty or nice' glass bottles at Christmas, and were discussing if it could be set in some way. I'm guessing it could be bezel set with the top filed flush, but is still so soft and cleaves so easily, I'm not sure how long it would last.

[Myosotis]

I'd second James's suggestion about Whitby jet.

If they're dead set on coal, I'd recommend using a closed back bezel design and then seal the top of the coal with either ordinary or doming resin to protect it as coal is so soft and it would potentially also leave dirty marks.

[metalsmith]

I have been commissioned to create a pendant using a a piece of coal within the design. Any tips on what type of coal to use, setting coal, cutting, polishing ect would be very handy!

Thank you very much, Mari

It might be worth putting the question back to your client : what coal did you have in mind.
Obviously they may expect you to know enough to suggest - either Jet, as elsewhere is the obvious choice. This is coalified monkey puzzle tree (the best stuff from here in Yorkshire, but alternatives - of much lower grade are found in France and Turkey I believe) - or Anthracite: this is a proper coal, but has a very high carbon content and a low hydrocarbon content, which is good. Anything else is likely to be dirty, smelly and not robust.
Anthracite is hard and glassy, but can split irregularly. Ensure that you get the natural stuff, not beans/ pellets. I'm not practised at polishing coal, but Anthracite is naturally very shiny so I doubt it would need it.

It will be interesting to see your designs or finished piece.

[Dennis]

If you go the coal or anthracite route, you might have to visit a coal merchant in the hope of picking up straypieces, rather than investing in a whole bag.

However dirty would not be a problem, as you can coat it with ProtectaClear to seal it http://everbritecoatings.co.uk/jewellery-restoration--protection-kits-10-c.asp.

Dennis.

[Sausage]

Woop!

I can help here - my first proper response in a thread..

As well as Jet there is also Cannel coal. Although not as hard as Jet, it's still used for carving and then polished. Cannel coal is far more common that Jet;

7367

[Dennis]

Well I'm sure we are all pleased with your reply too Mr/Ms sausage, but this thread is nearly a month old and Mari has never retuned to acknowledge her replies or let us know what she eventually did.

This is quite common and speaking for myself I find it the most frustrating thing about forums, although I have a little list. Dennis.

[enigma]

Are they made out of coal sausage?

[CJ57]

Are they made out of coal sausage?

This is what it says on wiki Sarah http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannel_coal
At least some of it might be true :)

[enigma]

Thanks Caroline :)

[LydiaNiz]

I refuse to eat coal sausage.
I was just reading the wiki page - I've got a little bag of coal we use to fill bottles at Christmas time. For the non-festive gift giver.

[Sausage]

Some of it might be true? C'mon - I may have a random name (I'm a Mr!) but why would I put something up which isn't true? I never lie..

I do apologise though - my bad for not spotting how old the thread was. In future I'll check my sell by dates!
I'm a busy chappie and don't always call by here..

Yes those boots are Cannel coal - lots of other stuff was made from it too - usually vases or urn shapes - I think because it was stronger like that?

[CJ57]

Didn't know you wrote the wiki page Sausage :) Wiki aren't reknowned for being totally factually correct so I take a lot of it with a pinch of salt

[Sausage]

No - I know the stuff personally. Not to talk to (!) but I have a fair bit of the stuff here. I was given it by a friend who was a mining engineer for many years.

In its raw state cannel is like 'floury' glass. It fractures cleanly too. It doesn't look like coal. Haig Pit in Wigan actively mined the stuff. It was used in coal gas production.

Anyway, I doubt I'll try making something with it added in - though my mind is sorta going over the idea!

[CJ57]

Sounds interesting, I have quite a lot of antique jet beads that I picked up at auctions over the years but I've never actually tried to work it. Do you know how it's carved, does it need special tools?
It would be good to find a new material to work with, I have a bag of Ivory offcuts bought legally in the 70s which of course are neither ethical nor legal to use now and I will probably have to burn them. Unusual materials are now quite difficult to come by

[Aurarius]

this thread is nearly a month old and Mari has never retuned to acknowledge her replies or let us know what she eventually did.

This is quite common and speaking for myself I find it the most frustrating thing about forums, although I have a little list. Dennis.
Might I ask what else is on your list, Dennis, apart from forum phantoms who suddenly materialise with questions and then vanish just as suddenly for reasons best known to themselves?
Maybe people on forums who chivvy you to reveal the workings of your mind is on your list.

[CJ57]

Might I ask what else is on your list, Dennis, apart from forum phantoms who suddenly materialise with questions and then vanish just as suddenly for reasons best known to themselves?
Maybe people on forums who chivvy you to reveal the workings of your mind is on your list.

Maybe they don't really exist Mark and it's the robots that Stephen Hawking is warning us will be the ruin of mankind!

[Aurarius]

Maybe they don't really exist Mark and it's the robots that Stephen Hawking is warning us will be the ruin of mankind!
I'd believe anything where the Internet is concerned, but people are strange enough, leaving aside the bots. I'm a moderator on a language forum and I've had to deal with all sorts of things over the years, including accusations of plagiarism made by universities, libel claims, predatory grooming (incl. sending images of certain parts of the body via pm's), not to mention the occasional hounding by Getty Images and their threats of court action; they hoover up forum content everywhere to make sure you're not using one of "their" images without permission, i.e. without having paid them for the privilege.

[CJ57]

I do wonder why people urgently ask for advice and then never come back. Maybe they are just serial questioners ( is that a word) and they get better responses on other forums :)

[Dennis]

Might I ask what else is on your list, Dennis?

The Newbies who just say hello
And not another thing,
Who never post a useful thread,
Nor show their gem set ring.

Koko's song from the Mikado traditionally had topical items inserted, ending in: I've got a little list and they'll none of them be missed.
In my student days around 1949 I was a member of a Gilbert and Sullivan society and sang my heart out in the chorus. Family and friends were dragooned into buying tickets and being thoroughly bored by the Victorian humour.

If any one wants to start a new thread, I'm sure there will be a dozen more pet hates. Dennis.

[Aurarius]

The Newbies who just say hello
And not another thing,
Who never post a useful thread,
Nor show their gem set ring.

When Dennis sang in operetta,
Way back now in '49,
No-one sang a chorus better,
For he was in his prime.


And now he's older and makes jewelry,
Though forum newbies treat him cruelly,
And others of us act unruly,
His unique work can charm us truly.

[Sausage]

Haha madness. I may be on the wrong forum!

I was a moderator on an 'Urban Exploration' forum a while back. The worst thing on there was the spam..

Anyway, carving jet? I've no idea. It'd be guessing really. It can't be as hard as say flint or quartz? The worst but will be the black dust from the carving. I'd do any carving in a different workshop because the black dust will get everywhere..
On a similar note - amber. Very much from the same source. How is amber carved? I think amber will be far softer than jet though?

[CJ57]

Amber is very soft, I have a collection gathered by my uncle on the Baltic coast. It saws and files easily but the dust is very fine but at least it's white. Takes on an amazing polish though

[LydiaNiz]

what is good for polishing amber please? I bought some rough pieces years ago, must dig them out!

[CJ57]

Hi Lydia I just polished it with tripoli and rouge so any equivelant. It is a resin so don't press too hard or it will burn into the Amber. I use my Dustmaster 3 or 4 ins mops with care go quite softly and gently and it will come up like glass

7375. Sadly seem to have lost this box, no note of sale but I don't have it . I would probably have kept it now as it was such an amazing piece of Amber. I can't bear to use and sell the other pieces for sentimental reasons now

[LydiaNiz]

Lovely! I have only a pendant motor, and assume when I've tried previously I've been too heavy handed. Thank you

[CJ57]

Probably, just use the softest mop you can get and a light touch. It is possible to use toothpaste on a duster!

[Sausage]

I asked about amber because I too have some I found - mine came from the Northumbrian coast. It's rough and has dirt in it but there are clearer parts too. I was hoping to drop a tiny polished piece into a pendant. Something personal.
I have tried a quick file of it and was convinced I could smell the resins - the pine smell. I'll try a slow gentle speed on it when the time comes. Many thanks for that. :)

[Dennis]

The pine smell is most obvious if you touch it with a hot needle, and distinguishes it from fake. Dennis.