Current Theme Song

"The World We Live In" by The Killers on Day and Age

I had a dream that I was falling down
There's no next time, alone
A storm wastes its water on me
But my life was free

Herkimer Enhydro

The Herkimer Enhydro is a very unique piece of quartz... with which I have recently become acquainted.

There are two parts to the name... let's talk about "Herkimer." Simply put, Herkimer is in up-state New York, where there are two mines at which this clear quartz is mined: the Ace of Diamonds (http://www.herkimerdiamonds.com/index.htm), and The Herkimer Diamond Mines (http://www.herkimerdiamond.com/). These mines are professionally mined; however, they also have the unique feature of allowing tourists to visit and prospect for their own stones. Herkimer stones are commercially known as "Herkimer Diamonds," and are even cut and polished for sale and setting, however, their mineral content is closer to that of quartz.

Now, let's talk about "enhydro." Literally speaking, there is water inside the stone. As the stone forms, water is able to enter and exit the quartz until, at some point in the stone's development, the water becomes sealed inside. For a Herkimer to have an enhydro inclusion makes it more rare and more valuable, and the best enhydros even have dirt or air bubbles in the inclusion as well so that it can be classified as a "moving enhydro." The water can actually be seen to move inside the stone.

Metaphysically speaking, the Herkimer diamond is known as the "stone of attunement." It is said to be a good meditation aid and is known to clarify and strengthen dreams.

If you are interested in learning more about Herkimer Diamonds or making a purchase, check out either of these two dealers:
-Sticks 'N' Stones:http: http://www.sticksnstonesonline.com/home
-Inner Vision Crystals: http://www.innervisioncrystals.net/enter.html

(photo from Ebay auction 380340651758 by seller "crystaleyesd")

Current Theme Song

"Grey Sky Eyes" by Carbon Leaf on Indian Summer

You welcome me in
And your veil is so thin
But the mystery continues to grow
You say you must realize
That my grey sky eyes
Neither rain, nor they glow... now you know

The Shadow Knows...

Let's have a chat about purple shadow... not purple haze, not purple rain... purple shadow, otherwise known as fire scale: the bane of every silversmith's existence.

Sterling silver is an alloy of copper and fine silver in the proportion of 925 parts silver, 75 parts copper. But don't be fooled by that tiny bit of copper, it is a trouble maker. Copper is the reason that sterling silver tarnishes. Fine silver (999 parts silver) is much more tarnish resistant.

As you work with the silver (file it, hammer it, sand it, form it) the alloy is getting moved around, compressed... and this compression brings the copper to the surface of the silver. As the alloy undergoes this compression, "islands" of raised copper start forming and create portions in the surface of the metal that tarnish faster than the surrounding metal... and these "islands" manifest as purple shadows on the surface of the silver.

There are two ways to get rid of fire scale. 1. continue filing/sanding until the island of copper is gone. 2. go through several rounds of heat/pickle (heating the metal to bring out the oxidation then throwing the hot metal into acid so that the oxidation is eaten away), a process known as "raising the fine silver." I prefer method 2 because I find method 1 risky... I never know how deep the fire scale goes, and I could very well file through the whole piece before the fire scale is gone.

It's the mark of a well made silver piece to have no fire scale... it's a time consuming process to get rid of purple shadow and it is definitely a labor of love. So, the shadow definitely knows how much time was put into the jewelry you wear.

What the Flux?

In jewelry, "flux" is a weird term because it can mean many things based on context.

When soldering, "flux" is a paste or liquid that keeps the metal clean during the soldering process. Soldering requires that you heat metal to extreme temperatures; however, the heat causes the metal to oxidize. This type of "flux" is a chemical compound (containing fluorides, potassium, and hydroxide) that creates a barrier between the metal and the air, stopping the oxidation and helping the solder flow. And since solder will not flow over dirty metal, flux is essential for getting a nice, tight solder seam.

The next two types of "flux" apply when you are talking about enameling with powdered glass. The first type is simply clear enamel, meaning that in this case, "flux" is just clear glass. The second type of enameling flux is similar to soldering flux in that it is a chemical compound. In enameling, this compound is mainly xanthum gum; you cut it with water and use it as a binding agent between the powered glass and the metal. In this context, you use "flux" to keep the powered glass where it belongs so that it will stay in place to be kiln fused and torch fired.

Consider yourself educated! Now when you're at a fancy dinner party or hip, trendy spot and someone says, "What the flux?" you can whip out your knowledge and impress them all.

Current Theme Song

"Awake My Soul" by Mumford & Sons on Sign No More

In these bodies, we will live
In these bodies, we will die
And where you invest your love
You invest your life