Kirksite

Jewelry Discussion
1

I would appreciate any help finding a source for Kirksite,if it’s
still being produced, I need a low melting temperature metal that is
hard enough for dies when cool. Thanks to all,John Barton Images By
JJ

2

the alternative to kirksite that I have used for 20 years is called
superdie - avaliable from belmont metals
http://63.161.212.105/products/zinc.cfm

Russell

Russell’s of Camden
20 Main St.
Camden, Maine 04843
207-236-4367
http://www.RussellsofCamden.com

3

Check out the following for the results of a search for Kirksite, you
probably will find what you are looking for, or perhaps one of the
contacts may point you in the right direction.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Kirksite&btnG=Google+Search

B Goodman
Van. BC

4

Thanks very much Russell. I will probably be calling you if I may. I
would like to know more about this alternative to Kirksite. I finally
found a supplier in Chicago (I live in Fort Worth,Tx) who said he
would work with me on a small order(he normally deals in thousands of
pounds per order) and didn’t sound too enthusiastic.At least this is
a beginning. Thanks again,will be talking to you soon, John Barton

5 
Can Any body tell me what Kirksite is and where can I find it?
Thanks in advance Marco

It came from the planet Uhuru and the last of it was lost in the
explosion of the spaceship Enterprise.

Seriously, it may exist but none of the books in my gem/mineralogy
library (and I have quite a few) list a mineral by that name. I can
find Kakortokite, Kornerupine and Kurnakovite but not Kirksite. If
it’s a “rockhound” mineral, many of those bear regional names that
are often not recognized by “official” texts. Some examples are
“Wilckite” for Willow Creek Jasper and “Wascoite” for Biggs Jasper.
There are thousands of others, as well as newly-coined trade-names
for old materials. Do you have any more that could
narrow the search down a little? Is it used as a gem? Is it faceted
or cut as cabochons? Am I making a fool of myself by not recognizing
something obvious?

There’s another possibility. One of my pastimes is noting some of
the wild misuses of real gem names. Instead of looking the real
names up, some people just write down the name phonetically as they
think they heard it. Two of the most creatively and consistently
misspelled gem/mineral names I’ve noticed lately are sillimanite and
Kashmirine. I’ve seen the first rendered as “Suleimanite” and the
second as “Cachamerine,” with many other variations for both.

Rick Martin
MARTIN DESIGNS

6

Hi Rick Kirksite is not a mineral or an element but a compound of low
melting point and extraordinary hardness and tensile strenght, You’ll
never find it in a mineralogy or gem dictionary cause it is new
technology in metallurgy for the elaboration of rapid prototypes and
rapid tooling. I’ve just knew it by John Barton who use to make his
own stamps and dies for the elaboration of Indian Jewelry .

Marco

7

Careful there, Marco. Kirksite has been around for a long time…it
is certainly NOT new technology! The Navajos have been using it for
many decades. Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA.