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Dioptase As Stain?


cahd

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Hello,

 

I have done a lot of simple slip casting but really nothing with stains yet.

 

As a part of a copper sculpture I was working with I produced a significant amount of blue-green dark crystals that I am 98% sure is dioptase forming from the reaction of copper, sodium chloride, water and acetic acid.

 

Now rather than letting these little gems lay around as trinkets I was wondering if I could ground them to use as a stain for slip in unglazed ceramic.

 

I know it is used as a pigment in paint but I am unsure what it will do in the kiln.

 

Does anyone have any experience with it or knowledge about experimenting with likely impure pigments?

 

Thanks,

 

Chad.

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Likely not dioptase, but copper acetate.  Dioptase is a silicate and requires very specialized formation conditions--and silica.  Copper acetate is produced with the very same chemicals you describe though.  Copper acetate is also a blue green crystal that grows rather quickly.  It's used in a few knock-offs of Japanese patination formulas.

 

I'm not sure of the decomposition temperature, but you could probably calcine it to make copper oxide and use that in glazes as a more pure ingredient.

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