Faking GemstonesPart 1 of 2
People have been faking gemstones for centuries. Over two hundred years ago, a German jeweler called Georg Friedrich Strass came up with a diamond wannabee by making a type of glass which he initially backed with metal foil, then later with a mirror coating to make them more sparkly.
Today we call these diamond simulants rhinestones or Strass if you're from Europe. Did you know that the word rhinestones once applied to rock crystals (clear quartz) from the river Rhine in Germany?
Teresa Dietzinger or the Proplady is into costume design so naturally she is a whiz at coming up with fake gemstones. Her tutorials here show us how to make them from resin. The first video is on how to mix, color and pour the resin mix into the molds. The video has music (turn down your sound if you don't like it) and is peppered with her sometimes amusing written comments and instructions.
In the second video, she shows us how to apply metal foil to the bottom of cast resin gemstones to give them the shine needed for their masquerade just like Strass did with his special glass.
She doesn't demonstrate how to finish off these resin jewels. That would be our task to come up with a suitable idea. Beaded cabochon around each perhaps? Wire wrapping?
For more tutorials check out my Jewelry Making Tips
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this was a great article.i think it can take one to a new dimention.think about clients asking you to make a neckpiece that matches her very strange color dress.now you can use your color palette to mix whatever color you can think of.this newsletter is just indispensible Beadin Gem...thank you!
ReplyDeletehaifa shawwa
http://haifashawwajewelry.blogspot.com
Interesting...she makes the process look very easy to do!
ReplyDeleteCheers
What an excellent idea Haifa! Trying to get a jewelry design to match some odd shade is tricky.
ReplyDeleteI agree with haifa. The process looks easy enough. Hmmm...a weekend project just to see how it really works and looks in the end?!
ReplyDelete-Stephanie
Awesome ideas! I've been dieing to try resin now I have more reason to. Thanks for passing these videos on to us Pearl!
ReplyDelete