^03 Porcelain

[cf66]

Thank you all!

[terrim8]

with regard to halloysite in Canada:

Callie - true- its not mined here & Ive been frustrated for years because I know where there is some, same geologic setting as the NZ deposit except its not right on the coast for handy-dandy extraction, processing & shipping.   Can't get the area I know about going due to lack of funding for initial exploration work.

I've heard rumors about a possible deposit in Idaho  but nothing in production yet.

If I ever get a chance to be back in the area that I know about I will grab a big bucket full.

[curt]

There is a price for everything, and at the right price everything is available...

NZ Halloysite can certainly be had from Walker’s Ceramics in Australia - if you are willing to pay the shipping I suppose.

Of course you want to make your porcelain from it not just due its (very) low iron content, but also for its (very) low titanium content, because it is the both of them together which conspire to make otherwise white clay grey and yucky (not just iron alone).

Veegum T can also be had, and international shipping on a 100 gram container (which is probably all you can afford) will probably not be too high compared to the price of the product itself .  

Oh, and better get some very clean silica while you are at it.   But there is some good news!  You can just skip the ball clay altogether - not necessary.

Expensive, yes, but oh my do these make nice porcelain!....  Limoge wishes it was this white.

If all this seems too hard just cave for some Southern Ice.  You will actually be pretty close.

Finally, better even than NZ Halloysite would probably be Dragonite Halloysite from the US (Utah I think).  Even cleaner!  But as a highly refined cosmetic and scientific grade product, probably even more expensive than the NZ stuff - IF you could even get it...   would be interested to know if anyone has used it.