Treating Turquoise

[guest5535]

Hello Everyone,

I have about twenty pounds of rough turquoise that I wish to either stabalize either myself or have a professional firm stabalize it.

I have been researching different 'at home' ways to stabalize turquoise rough, including soaking in diluted epoxy, opticon, and others, but do not know which is the best. If any of you have any suggestions on which method to pursue, please feel free to respond and provide any details you could on the process.

I also have been trying to locate any firms that could commercially stabalize the turquoise I have. If any of you have a lead on a good firm and have had experience with them, please feel free to pass a contact to me.

Thanks,

Bob

[hulagrub]

Try Steve Hackett on facebook

[Debbie K]

Have you considered contacted Colbaugh directly? lhttp://www.colbaugh.net/home.htmThey stabilize their turquoise and hold the patent? or secret on the process. Opticon never really hardens and some people have trouble with it leaching out years later. I have stabilized opals with the epoxy thinned with acetone method; I used only the epoxy part of 2 part epoxy and let them soak for about a month; all cracks filled in. I pulled them out, wiped them off and covered them with superglue; it acts as a hardener. Some people use both parts in epoxy and soak and then remove. I used superglue on howlite once; I put it in a vacuum before it set up. It did make it considerably harder.

[redrockrods]

Contact the Eljen group or the coubaugh folks in kingman.