msrocky
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2014
Posts: 21
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Post by msrocky on Apr 9, 2014 13:57:11 GMT -5
Hi All!
Does anyone know how to color or stain rocks? There are some beautiful rocks on ebay that are fuschia and purple, blue, etc. They are obviously stained somehow. Any info?
Thanks!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 9, 2014 14:37:33 GMT -5
Its a dye........I see they do that on Brazilian agates a lot....My opinion,is they ruin the rock doing that! This should give you a start on researching..... rocktumbler.com/blog/dyed-gemstones/..............Just "google" what you want to find,there is great information out there-Thumbs up
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Post by 150FromFundy on Apr 9, 2014 17:17:55 GMT -5
The dyes are definitely controversial. When I first started out as a wide-eyed newbie, I was attracted to the brilliant and fascinating colours and as a result have a few exotic Brazilian agates on my display shelf. As I learned more and realized they were not naturally occurring, I developed an appreciation for all the beautiful agates and jaspers that do not rely on enhancement by man.
You can also research "heat treating" to bring out colours. Because alteration by heat (amethyst to citrine for example) can occur naturally in nature, it is a little less debated than the dyes. Many of the faceted gemstones commonly used have been "cooked" to improve their colour and clarity.
You can also research "irradiation". Irradiation that turns quartz into smoky quartz can also occur naturally in areas where radioactive minerals are present, but is often done in labs.
Darryl.
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msrocky
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2014
Posts: 21
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Post by msrocky on Apr 9, 2014 19:19:45 GMT -5
Thanks guys!
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,547
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Post by tkvancil on Apr 11, 2014 10:01:44 GMT -5
Thought about dyeing some stuff myself. After reading several web pages about doing it I decided against. Some pretty nasty chemicals are used in many of the processes.
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