Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

SkriVanTek t1_j68e9jp wrote

Reply to comment by CrustalTrudger in can gemstones be melted into a gradient? by Acceptable_Shift_247

what about melting the gem stones locally so it is molten only in part and then fusing them together

like a weld. when we want to combine pieces of metal we wouldn’t completely melt them for example

or melting them just above their respective rating points so they still have a high viscosity, limiting diffusion of the individual component elements into each other

or rephrased

what about a process where the components are not in a thermodynamic or kinetic equilibrium?

1

Garbleshift t1_j68j5h7 wrote

The description above still applies to the parts you melt.

The point is that when you heat a rock and then cool it, in different circumstances from those in which it was originally formed, you're making a different kind of rock, with different physical properties. Every atmospheric oxygen and moisture are an issue. And minerals haven't been refined the way industrial metals have, so you don't even really know exactly what you're heating up. The chance of the molten part staying stuck to the part that didn't melt is pretty slim.

18

julie78787 t1_j68gm4d wrote

You'd likely start getting into issues with the coefficients of thermal expansion being different, as well as thermal conductivity preventing this from happening locally.

16

TetraThiaFulvalene t1_j695a5f wrote

You could maybe do it with gemstones that are based on the same mineral with different dopants.

3

LittleCreepy_ t1_j6ap4xg wrote

About the only way I see the gradient forming. Sadly that would mean we couldnt use the birthdaystones, as it would be a single material.

Maybe use a stone assosiated with the day the ring will be gifted, so a stone can be chosen that has the right properties for the colours.

1