Maintaining the wet green color of serpentine

When I was recently washing some green serpentine specimens, I was taken by the brillliant greens of the rocks. But when they dried the green fades and many of the specimens become almost white. I was wondering if anyone has ever treated any of this kind of material to bring out those greens on either a temporary or permanent basis? I was thinking of emersing these stones in a vegetable oil.

Thanks

Vegetable oil is not too good because some critters find it good to eat. Mineral oil is better, but when you oil things, they look better for a while, but the oil catches dust and they can get pretty dirty. Collectors don't like oiled specimens. A quick easy way is to paint the specimens with some kind of varnish or lacquer. You can even dip it. The excess will run off and often absorb into the specimen and when it dries, much of the "wed look" will remain. You can also dip the specimen in hot liquid paraffin. When you take it out, wipe off the excess and much of it will absorb or "contract" into the specimen when it cools. This is a regular treatment given to most tumbled stone after they come out of the polishing tumblers.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

I agree mineral oil is better. I prefer to just polish a window of say 1"x1" to show the interior/color of the material.

Thanks for the advice about the oil. I didn't think of the dust issue. I will try lacquer on a small piece and see what happens. When I can get some paraffin I will try a piece. I have a whole 5 gallon bucket to experiment with. I don't have anything to cut and polish the rocks with.

I don't really have to worry much about value and other collectors with this. The specimens are just common and basically without much value.

Anyway, thanks again.

I collect serpentinites and soapstones for garden rocks...I use a blowtorch to heat the rock up, then paint in with the paraffin (melted already) then run the torch over in agian , being sure to let the exess run off. It's a take on a technic used in Zimbabwai I believe. you should also give it a final polish with a slightly damp lint free cloth afterwards...once it cools.

~Zeke,
JadeJunkee
Washington State



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2009 07:21PM by Ezekiel Hughes.

I use tung oil. It's a drying oil like linseed. Once dry (overnight), it highlights the mineral's colour without affecting its luster much, if at all when properly applied - ie no "wet look". It will also not collect dust like mineral oil. Some brands of tung oil will yellow a bit over time though. I recommend Lee Valley polymerized tung oil because it does not (you can order it online).

Brush it on sparingly and wipe off the excess as you go. Going like this you may sometimes need two coats, but I prefer this to the wet look if you use too much.

I haven't actually tried this on serpentine but I've had great success with anything I've tried it on.

Michael

Here is an after shot of a piece I did for the garden (Waxing)



an album of close ups on photobucket.

Slide-show

sadly I can't find the before shots, though part of the slide-show shows an unwaxed portion.

~Zeke,
JadeJunkee
Washington State

Thanks Michael and Ezekiel. More things to try. And I will.

Try waterglass - sodium silicate. That's how dealers treat crappy turquoise to make it look good. Of course turquoise can be pretty porous, but I suspect waterglass doesn't need porosity.

Meanwhile please check my new related thread on cleaning.

Hi

If for display use indoors simply use some hair spray.

If outdoors in the garden you could use some clear outdoor wood varnish

Cheers

LOL, Zeke I was just thinking about you when I was reading this post and who do you think wrote it but you.

Aaron

"I use tung oil. It's a drying oil like linseed."

Be careful with drying oils. Tung oil is fine, but linseed oil is not. The latter is pyrophorous, i.e. it tends to self ignition upon drying, due to the higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to tung oil. This may lead to unexpected results ...

Over the weekend, I tried dipping some smaller serpentine specimens in paraffin melted in a double boiler. Then I went over it with a butane torch used for soldering. Wow, it worked great. Just enough effect. Better, to get it off, all I have to do is boil them and the wax comes off. Not that they are really worth anything. Just attractive.

Between posting my inital post and this weekend, I went to the Morefield Mine in Virginia and collected a bunch of Amazonite. The paraffining really worked on these. Brought the color out wonderfully. I have a ton more that I can dip so I will try and remember to post some before and after photos.

I will try the waterglass too. Just have to get some.

Thanks alot, the rocks look great in my case.

Pfffft, call me old school, but you don't need any of these high tech multi-coat heat and dip chemical treatments.

Back in the day, we'd just roll on down to the hardware store and pick up a can of latex paint.

Then you get any color you want - you could have a whole rainbow in your display case, for just a few dollars!

Can't beat house paint for quick and easy rock improvement.

T

Hairspray or the clear coat spray lacquer works most excellent for this purpose. The latter works better and lasts much longer IMHO. If you use the gloss it will of course looks more polished, the matte type works to just bring out the colors.