This is section devoted to beaders, metalsmiths, and jewelry makers. I've gathered together all of my information relating chemistry and jewelrymaking into one convenient place!
See photos of rough and cut gemstones and learn about the chemistry of the minerals.
Learn about the two main types of rock tumblers and get some selection tips and helpful advice to prepare for your first tumble. Links to related resources and support sites are also included.
Part I: Carbon Chemistry and Diamond Crystal Structure. Part II: Properties and Types of Diamonds. There are also links to learn about carbon allotropes, diamond mining, diamonds as gemstones, and geology.
Have you ever wondered how glass is colored? Here's a table of common colorants and a description of processes used to color glass.
This alphabetical list of gemstones includes the mineral names of the gemstones as well as links to photos of the gems.
None of the gold used in jewelry is pure gold. Some gold isn't even 'gold'-colored (e.g., white gold). The different colors are due to the presence of other metals alloyed with the gold. This table gives common compositions of the different colors of gold.
Mood rings have a stone that is supposed to change color to show your emotions. Do they work? If so, do you know how? Here's your chance to find out.
All it takes is silver nitrate and either copper wire or mercury to grow these sparkling metal crystals.
Use these easy instructions to combine common household ingredients to make your own copper, brass, and bronze cleaner.
These are easy instructions for making your own natural dyes, using fruits, vegetables, and spices. The article is for Easter, but you can also use these dyes on natural and faux pearls and other beads!
Why use elbow grease to remove tarnish from silver when all you need to do is dip it in this easy-to-make nontoxic solution? I've also included some tips for preventing tarnish in the first place.
Jewelry made from precious metals often is stamped with a mark to indicate the chemical composition of the metal. These stamps or engravings are called quality marks. Here's a look at what different quality marks signify. Gold, silver, vermeil, platinum, and palladium are included.
Test your knowledge of the metals with this ten question quiz. Links about different metals are provided to help you find the answers.
A metal that makes a great necklace could cause serious problems in your belly button! Learn about the metals and alloys that can (and can't) be safely used to make body jewelry.
The Mohs Scale of Hardness measures how well a substance resists scratching by another material. You can use this scale to test the hardness of rocks, minerals, and crystals, to help identify them.
The Mohs test is one way to determine the hardness of a rock or mineral. You can use the Mohs hardness to help identify an unknown specimen. Here's how you can do the test yourself.
This twin-barrel rock tumbler from Lortone features rubber 3 lb. capacity barrels, a fan-cooled continuous duty motor, and durable metal housing. This summary itemizes the tumbler's features and includes a product evaluation.
Do you know about the chemistry of rocks and minerals? Here's a ten question quiz you can take to test your knowledge.
Here are instructions for tumbling rocks using a rotary drum tumbler and a vibratory tumbler, as well as instructions for polishing jewelry in a rock tumbler. Helpful tips are included for improving the polish and troubleshooting problems.
Specific gravity expresses the relative density of a material relative to the density of water. Here's a table of specific gravity ranges for several minerals.
Learn about the group chemistry of metals, including their common properties and locations on the Periodic Table.
You can use a rock tumbler to polish and clean your jewelry. Tumblers are great for smoothing rough edges on metal components, such as jump rings and earwires.
Learn about the chemistry of stainless steel. This article also includes descriptions of the different types of stainless steels, comments on passivation, and numerous links to sites offering related information.
This is About's comprehensive guide to earth science, with articles, links, and resources.
This is an illustrated dictionary of jewelry, but it is a great reference for quick information about gemstones, metals, and minerals.
Publication from the copper and brass industry.
This is a comprehensive About.com website devoted to... you guessed it! Metals!
Chemistry, characteristics, and identification of minerals. From Amethyst Galleries.
Classification schemes, chemical composition, crystallography. From David Barthelmy.
Introduction to some metallic elements and their properties. From Alan W. Cramb, Carnegie Mellon University.
