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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 11, 2017 9:01:58 GMT -5
Is Jade a brittle stone requiring a low stress mount?
I am working with some Polar Jade to create a teardrop stone necklace with a bell clasp mount on the sharp end. I am concerned that elongating the the neck of the teardrop will weaken the stone to much to be able to withstand normal wear and tare out on the dance floor.
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minerken
Cave Dweller 
Member since August 2013
Posts: 466 
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Post by minerken on Aug 11, 2017 11:41:55 GMT -5
Actually nephrite jade is among the toughest of all the lapidary minerals it can be bruised fairly easily but you should be fine flopping around on ones neck should not be of any concern.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059
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Post by gemfeller on Aug 11, 2017 11:44:52 GMT -5
No, jade -- especially the nephrite you're working with -- is one of the toughest stones around. That's why ancient peoples favored it for ax heads and other tools that required durability. Its structure consists of interlocking fibers that make it very strong despite its moderate hardness.
There's a difference between a gem's hardness and its toughness. Diamonds are the hardest mineral known but they aren't very tough when struck at an angle parallel to a cleavage plane. They split easily and this is property diamond cutters make use of. Think of glass: it's moderately hard on the Mohs scale but shatters easily.
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 11, 2017 12:17:42 GMT -5
Thank you for your replies Minerken and Gemfeller... Most helpful!
I work my creations using a dremel to cut and grind for rough shaping. I then switch to SiC wet/dry sandpaper (220-3000 grit) with a lot of elbow grease to do the finish. Lastly I polish using the dremel on a bed of wet leather. Sooo... the piece gets knocked around a bit. It is nice to know that the Jade is as resilient as you say. I feel better about giving it to my Daughter-in-Law who is a maniac under the disco ball! LOL!!
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Post by Rockoonz on Aug 11, 2017 12:48:10 GMT -5
Jade has a grain direction and is strongest in that direction. Usually fairly visible on the stone, but with some really high end stuff it's unimportant.
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 11, 2017 13:27:32 GMT -5
Jade has a grain direction and is strongest in that direction. Usually fairly visible on the stone, but with some really high end stuff it's unimportant. Thank you Lee (Rockoonz). I tried to take a pic with my microscope but the surface was a mess of saw blade scoring. The following pics were taken with a white light behind the Polar Jade slab with an Olympus TG-5 digital camera. How do I tell which direction the grain is going?   |
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 11, 2017 14:15:56 GMT -5
Thank you for your replies Minerken and Gemfeller... Most helpful! I work my creations using a dremel to cut and grind for rough shaping. I then switch to SiC wet/dry sandpaper (220-3000 grit) with a lot of elbow grease to do the finish. Lastly I polish using the dremel on a bed of wet leather. Sooo... the piece gets knocked around a bit. It is nice to know that the Jade is as resilient as you say. I feel better about giving it to my Daughter-in-Law who is a maniac under the disco ball! LOL!! Sorry- had to do it. |
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 11, 2017 14:28:11 GMT -5
Yup... you got it! Same moves as she makes under the disco ball! Sooo... you think a teardrop jade necklace will hold up to that little bit of cardio?
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Post by Rockoonz on Aug 11, 2017 14:42:16 GMT -5
How do I tell which direction the grain is going? If there are any fractures they will follow the grain for the most part. Live edges will resemble wood a lot of the time and be smoother in the grain direction. It's a lot easier to show examples in person than to explain from photos. Looking at your photo I'm guessing what you have is likely to be Canadian and good quality. It would be good to see what it looks like without being backlit as well. If I'm right about what it is it will be fine any way you cut it. Also, if it's Canadian you will want to take your time and use a light touch, especially at the finer grits, or it may get orange peel. Practice polishing on some of what you trim off. |
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 11, 2017 15:14:09 GMT -5
How do I tell which direction the grain is going? If there are any fractures they will follow the grain for the most part. Live edges will resemble wood a lot of the time and be smoother in the grain direction. It's a lot easier to show examples in person than to explain from photos. Looking at your photo I'm guessing what you have is likely to be Canadian and good quality. It would be good to see what it looks like without being backlit as well. If I'm right about what it is it will be fine any way you cut it. Also, if it's Canadian you will want to take your time and use a light touch, especially at the finer grits, or it may get orange peel. Practice polishing on some of what you trim off. here are some pics of the Polar Jade slab Lee (dimentions: 4inX2inX3/8in)... First - Dry...    Here it is wet...   ![]() |
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 11, 2017 15:22:08 GMT -5
How do I tell which direction the grain is going? Also, if it's Canadian you will want to take your time and use a light touch, especially at the finer grits, or it may get orange peel. Practice polishing on some of what you trim off. Good advice on polishing problems Lee. Thank you! |
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Post by radio on Aug 12, 2017 8:05:20 GMT -5
I would be far more concerned about the bell clasp letting go than the Jade being harmed. A nice bezel mount with a sturdy bail and chain or cord would be the most durable. One could open the back of the bezel setting to show the beauty of the Jade and allow light to pass through
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 12, 2017 9:58:52 GMT -5
I agree but I do not have a good handle on types of those yet. I DO have some coin holder mounts with screw-on tops that I am considering... maybe nicer... that do not have the fake coin edge around the perimeter.
I greatly admire the mounts other members have displayed. I would like to take a stab at learning the wire wrapping that Rockjunquie does, but do not know where to start...YET. No soldering is a plus, I already have mostly all the necessary hand tools (I've watched a few tutorials on the forum), and I doooo+++ love the complexity. Arthritic hands are a big negative, but I have noted that after a session of hand grinding and finishing (on sandpaper) that my fingers are much more bendable (the old "use-em or loose-em" adage).
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 12, 2017 11:31:46 GMT -5
I agree but I do not have a good handle on types of those yet. I DO have some coin holder mounts with screw-on tops that I am considering... maybe nicer... that do not have the fake coin edge around the perimeter. I greatly admire the mounts other members have displayed. I would like to take a stab at learning the wire wrapping that Rockjunquie does, but do not know where to start...YET. No soldering is a plus, I already have mostly all the necessary hand tools (I've watched a few tutorials on the forum), and I doooo+++ love the complexity. Arthritic hands are a big negative, but I have noted that after a session of hand grinding and finishing (on sandpaper) that my fingers are much more bendable (the old "use-em or loose-em" adage). Many people start with wire wrapping and move on to smithing. I do smithing, too, but I got a name for myself wrapping and kinda got stuck doing it. Rarely sold my silver work, though it was perfectly nice. If you want to start wrapping, there are a few kinds to consider. I do a modern approach to traditional border wrapping. There is also coiling, weaving, sculpting, groove wrapping, curling plus others, I'm sure. There is a good tute in our tute section by BikerRandy which is a good one and a good place to start. Start with copper to learn. You don't need a lot of tools and you don't need the best ones- but, like with anything else, you do need to practice a lot. edit- I do custom work. You can PM if interested. |
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 12, 2017 15:36:20 GMT -5
Thank you for your advice Rockjunquie. I do not have any interest in smithing yet... maybe down the road. The boarder wrapping and weaving interest me most (at this stage). I will go back to the tutorials and check out BikerRandy's tute.
What size copper wire and how many feet am I looking for?
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 12, 2017 16:54:44 GMT -5
Thank you for your advice Rockjunquie. I do not have any interest in smithing yet... maybe down the road. The boarder wrapping and weaving interest me most (at this stage). I will go back to the tutorials and check out BikerRandy's tute. What size copper wire and how many feet am I looking for? I'm not sure what Randy uses. I think it's in the tute. |
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,625
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Post by RWA3006 on Aug 20, 2017 9:04:23 GMT -5
I couldn't really tell which direction the grain runs in the photos, but I can tell you that when I was in a museum in China I saw nephrite jade artifacts in the form of anvils and shovel blades. That stuff is tough!
I do a lot with Wyoming nephrite and speculate that the clasp is probably the weak link in your project, so I wouldn't worry much about the grain on your piece.
btw, that's a nice stone you have there.
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 20, 2017 9:38:38 GMT -5
I couldn't really tell which direction the grain runs in the photos, but I can tell you that when I was in a museum in China I saw nephrite jade artifacts in the form of anvils and shovel blades. That stuff is tough! I do a lot with Wyoming nephrite and speculate that the clasp is probably the weak link in your project, so I wouldn't worry much about the grain on your piece. btw, that's a nice stone you have there. Thank you rwa3006. I have ordered wire wrapping/weaving tools, books, and wire, and watched some tutorials here in the forum. I intend to create wire wrapped pendants to mount the Jade pieces... sort of like "Go all Out"! Hmmm.... Jade shovel blades... Hmmm... No. I think pendants for the Girlies in my family are in order... But one Daughter-in-law DOES love to garden... This should take some time... |
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