Is this Agate? And how is it carved?

I have an inherited signet ring, which I want to repair. The gold setting is
fine, just needs polishing, but the stone is cracked in numerous places.

It is blue, and the blue has been engraved to expose the underlying black.

I understand this to be an Agate stone which has been carved, ad cannot be
repaired. So I would have to have a new one carved and set.

Now in South Africa, speaking to many different and varied Jewelers, the
answer is simply: "It cannot be done in South Africa". They all say that
they would send it to Europe to be done.

Is it so difficult?

duzby schrieb:
I have an inherited signet ring, which I want to repair. The gold setti=
ng is=20
fine, just needs polishing, but the stone is cracked in numerous place=
s.
=20
It is blue, and the blue has been engraved to expose the underlying bla=
ck.
=20
I understand this to be an Agate stone which has been carved, ad cannot=
be=20
repaired. So I would have to have a new one carved and set.
=20
Now in South Africa, speaking to many different and varied Jewelers, th=
e=20
answer is simply: "It cannot be done in South Africa". They all say tha=
t=20
they would send it to Europe to be done.
=20
Is it so difficult?=20
=20

We are specialiced in that and we send back to Your country. Engraving is=
a=20
little bit of a artistic work not only craftmanship if it=B4s perfect don=
e.

Look here for signet rings:
http://siegelring.schmuckfabrik.de/
and for engravings of seal he
http://www.butschal.de/atelier/wappensteine.htm


Mit freundlichem Gru=DF,
Heinrich Butschal

--=20
www.schmuck-boerse.com
www.meister-atelier.de
www.schmuckfabrik.de
www.royal-magazin.de

I have found out that it is actually a Sardonyx stone.

Can you tell me how the stone is engraved?

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 15:34:28 -0700, in ?? "duzby" wrote:

I have found out that it is actually a Sardonyx stone.

Can you tell me how the stone is engraved?



Quartz, when it occurs is a mass aggregate of lots of very tiny crystals, rather
than a single large crystal, is called chalcedony. If it is pure, it is a
transluscent clear or whiteish color, but usually, impurities and other minerals
mixed in give it colors and patterns. There are many divisions and versions of
chalcedony. Agate is a term usually used for versions where the material is laid
down in layers, or with certain other patterns. Jasper is a version which tends
to more solid opaque colors due to various impurities perhaps occuring in greater
amounts. Sard and Carnelian are versions where iron oxide has colored the
material anything from orangy brown to dark brown. And Sardonyx usually refers to
versions where this is banded colors, usually in mostly flat planes. Often, the
colors are black, white, browns, etc, but since the material can easily be dyed,
you can get it in other colors as well. All of these are varieties of the same
actual mineral, and they all can be carved and shaped in the same way.

In the old days, carving was done with abrasives like emery. Today, most carving
is done with diamond abrasives on rotary tools. These can be sintered diamond
abrasives, or the less expensive electroplated types where the diamond is only a
surface layer. The tools are rotary tools used in various types of tools, from
drills to high speed grinders to ultrasonic carving machines. Some carvers make
their own tools from soft metal like copper, turning them to the profile desired,
then using loose diamond grit, or silicon carbide grain, or other such abrasives,
as the abrasive used to actually carve. Finer grits and oxide polishing materials
can be used to polish the carving. In some cases, even sand blasting with the
right abrasives can be used.

In general, high quality carving and gem engraving, such as what Heinrich Butschal
shows on his web site (see his prior posting) takes more than just the right
tools. The German lapidary centers have long (centuries, maybe millenia even)
been centers for the finest lapidary work and skills, and many of the finest such
stones still come from these traditional centers of lapidary art. The German
cutters produce what are probably the nicest carved agate cameos and similar
carvings the the world. They may not be the only center, but certainly the
single largest area doing this quality of work.

You asked whether this is difficult, or why your local jewelers could not seem to
do it. Keep in mind that most jewelers, though we use and set stones, may not
actually do much stone cutting. Lapidary work is a seperate set of skills,
needing it's own techniques and especially, it's own set of different types of
tools. So most goldsmiths have their lapidary work done by people who specialize
in that work. Not all, of course, since some people do both, but in general, and
especially with jewelers operating retail establishments, you'll find that to be
the case. And with fine quality engraving in gems, for cameo carving or the types
of work illustrated on Heinrich Butschal's web site, this is virtually always a
job for the specialists. It takes a lot of practice to become as good at it as
the people who's work is shown on that site, and with today's international trade,
it is not difficult to obtain stones cut in Germany, or other parts of the world,
even if one is very far away. Your local jewelers who said such work needs to go
to europe are in general, correct. It may be possible, however, to just order the
stone you need rather than having it custom cut for you. There are a surprising
number of seemingly unique and custom cut things that are actually manufactured on
a wholesale scale, including things like engraved single initials, various
monograms and seals, and the like.

Hope this helps.

Peter Rowe