if i understand what you are asking…(big if…) one takes a crystal
that has been soaked in oxalic acid to remove iron oxides and make
it as clear as possible,- the granular radiator cleaner you find at
auto stores is cheapest and easy to get, the directions are for
radiator flushing but use a plastic 5 gallon bucket and fill 1/3 with
water then add the acid about a half a cannister if badly iron
oxidised- stir with a paint mixing stick and submerge the crystals.
In the sun works best, with a screen on top to keep animals and birds
out a no brainer ! (then rinse!).
To get a “cap” you need a flat top- 2 ways to do it :
-
use a diamond cut-off wheel, keep it lubricated and cut the
crystal flat
-
buy a machine cut crystal (that’s probably what you are talking
about in “wands”, pendants, etc. they seem too perfect-because they
are cut and polished on diamond laps. and don’t look like natural
growth at all…
After one side is flat- presuming you want a pointed side: you can
wrap the top of the crystal in, cel-u-clay (basically ground paper
for making sculptures lightweight) cork clay, or even leather to get
a shape you can deal with. or use some other material to level it
off. leather strips need to be glued down, you may not want glue-
the other two mould to the surface and when dry stay- Much like using
dried boxwood under a turquoise cab to level it in a bezel as SW
silversmiths do/did. don’t use plastics, friendly plastic,
thermoplastic (jett-sett) etc may conform in a thin-ish layer to the
piece but will be bad news if one has to repair it down the road.
then use calipers to measure the top of the crystal and make a shape
that fits perfectly. measure it a few times to make sure you get the
same measurement from many angles ( digital callipers are
inexpensive and accurate, more so than brass ones).Then using a split
strip, bezel strip or otherwise sheet of whatever metal you want,
solder it to the cap (which if turned upside down would be the
backing plate of your setting) file, or clean up with whatever you
like (an abrasive pin, film in a mandrel, wheel, grinder, radial
bristle disc, etc.) the “cap” flat as possible around the edges to
deburr, etc., then make sure your split strip, etc. fits tight- you
should see no light anywhere when fitted together. Flux and put
paillions inside the “cap”,put on a tripod and heat from below if you
can do it. less risk of ruining thinner metal around the top. Use
hard as you’ll probably want to add embellishments, or a top to the
"cap" once it’s ready to set…
OR
you can use metal clays- they now come in a variety of 14 kt gold
colours, and high kt gold as well and silvers of different purities
too…(or base metals, like bronze, steels, etc. but don’t combine
with high karat golds or silvers easily.) and can be decorated as far
as your design skills take you. Some crystals can be fired with the
cap on (few specimens/varieties though, and you’ll need as perfect a
crystal as possible - no inclusions that are significant, and no
rutilated quartzes. the needles sometimes go through the point all
the way and can blow in a kiln or explode) but consult a reliable
list, use a loupe to inspect and then consider the safety of firing
in place…
It rather depends on the kind of cap you want as to what to do next-
if its a simple one, then attaching a bail or tube or whatever set-up
to string it to wear you like. if its not for wearing, then you may
want a hilt as for a knife added to the cap. In that case use thicker
sheet same measurements + addition of the thickness to get right size
to connect perfectly with the cap you just made. Otherwise you can
set the cap you made with some forming pliers, a wooden mallet and
non-marring jeweller’s hammer (lightweight) to tighten the sides and
burnish around the crystal…
If you have questions contact off list unless someone gives you
better direction/ideas than I did. rer