Electroforming

[Animalnutty]

It's definitely a learning curve! The great thing is you can combine techniques so I've just made some more of these "floating" bezels by winding wire and soldering some points together to make sure it's secure. The first pierce was just held together with superglue and bicarbonate of soda.

This a an ammonite I made from air drying clay pressed into an ammonite, and a stone stuck on. I then electroplated it with silver and although it's only a thin layer that will eventually wear off it still looks effective. Hopefully as a pendant it won't wear off too quickly.

Attachment 11974. Attachment 11975

It's not going to replace my smithing, it's just a different process to play with.

I love that one too. The floating bezel is such a lovely piece and really lovely effect. It's a pretty amazing 'experiment' Wow, superglue and bicarboate of soda, didn't even know that was possible!

[misspond]

Neither did I until I joined an FB group full of folk who do this. The bicarb pretty much sets the superglue instantly which is a great help in the construction process. So long as you wash off the excess bicarb and then cover the superglue/bicarb in conductive paint it'll form the copper over it. I love a bit of science, even if I don't fully appreciate the processes concerned.

[misspond]

Hi Deb spectrolite only comes from Finland , Attachment 11976 It is a darker based stone almost looks like slate in its rough form as you can see from the pictures , Unfortunately you get a lot of people claiming that madagascar labrodorite is spectrolite

Looking at the translucency they are all Labrodorite

Thank you John, that makes it likely that everything I've got us labradorite so now I know what to call it when I put them out to the wider world.