Mellowyellowgirl's home blueberry dye experiment with lavender jade bangle

[mellowyellowgirl]

haha I have an even cheaper green bangle I could soak in green dye!

But let's try this blueberry first. If nothing happens after a few days I'll try something drastic on the green bangle. It's 52mm! Sooo hard to get on and off!

 

[Seaglow]

Maybe you could boil the juice before soaking the bangle?

 

[ChaiK]

Maybe don't try anymore. Really, maybe you did not pay a lot for these bangles. Nowadays, any bangle can command a silly price. What if yours now turned out to be worth thousands? Don't do it. Especially the green. Must be a good nice piece.

And how would you get the wax back on after you have removed it?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Maybe don't try anymore. Really, maybe you did not pay a lot for these bangles. Nowadays, any bangle can command a silly price. What if yours now turned out to be worth thousands? Don't do it. Especially the green. Must be a good nice piece.

And how would you get the wax back on after you have removed it?

I'll take a pic for you tomorrow! It's wishy washy colourless! Nothing like the stuff you own trust me!

 

[Bluegemz]

Reapplying wax is not hard, but one might have to get a certain kind of wax, maybe from a jeweler’s supply.

 

[ChaiK]

Reapplying wax is not hard, but one might have to get a certain kind of wax, maybe from a jeweler’s supply.

In any case, this is all so much good fun. Just maybe, if you decided not to do this, it would be ok. I am having so much fun and laughing.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Not all waxing powder is equal. There are different grades and costs. My jeweller uses one from Germany for their better jade.

 

[Seaglow]

I don’t think the color sticks easily. I know that even oil fracture filling is vacuumed inside the stone as a technique. I think for traditional dyeing, it should take a few days.

 

[JPie]

Even if this doesn’t work, you’ll have the consolation of a lovely blueberry compote.

 

[elle_71125]

This is such a fun experiment. I can’t wait to see if anything happens.

 

[prs]

@mellowyellowgirl all diffusion rates are temperature dependent, so if you keep your "experiment" refrigerated, any molecular movement will be at a snail's pace. For fastest results simmer on low heat, but with the pan covered so it doesn't dry out.

 

[prs]

I read also, on Gia, that the pinkish lavender ones are the suspect ones.

https://www.gia.edu/doc/Some-Observations-on-the-Treatment-of-Lavender-Jadeite.pdf

@ChaiK very interesting, thanks for posting. Every Mason-Kay cert for lavender jade that I have seen states: "Natural Jadeite Jade - No Dye or Polymer Detected - "A" Jade". I don't know if this means MK have a way to detect lavender dye that GIA doesn't, or if their method doesn't find dye even if it's there.

My sample size is small, but I have often seen vendors say they have GIA certs for green jade, but when it comes to lavender the vendor certs are usually MK. Has anyone seen a GIA cert for lavender jade that says "Natural Color, no indications of impregnation" as they do for green jade?

Sorry if I'm distracting from mellow's wonderful experiment, but I suspect it might be a few days before the results are in. So maybe this will give us something to talk about in the meantime.

 

[Bluegemz]

@ChaiK very interesting, thanks for posting. Every Mason-Kay cert for lavender jade that I have seen states: Natural Jadeite Jade - No Dye or Polymer Detected - "A" Jade.

I don't know if this means MK have a way to detect lavender dye that GIA doesn't, or if their method doesn't find dye even if it's there. My sample size is small, but I have often seen vendors say they have GIA certs for green jade, but when it comes to lavender the vendor certs are usually MK. Do any GIA certs for lavender jade say "No Dye"?

Yes, 90% of lavender jade tested by the GIA, they are able to tell color origin, ie dyed or natural color. 10% they are unable to tell, ie ‘color origin undetermined’. . I personally think it’s because GIA tests a piece with standard procedure once and then sends it on.

Mason Kay has thier own testing center with the same testing equipment as the GIA used for jade testing, Infrared spectroscopy and the rest. Because Mason Kay specializes only in jade, and third reputation depends on it, they likely retest until they get a definative answer, but maybe there are some pieces which are very hard to determine even with multiple retests.

 

[prs]

@mellowyellowgirl all diffusion rates are temperature dependent, so if you keep your "experiment" refrigerated, any molecular movement will be at a snail's pace. For fastest results simmer on low heat, but with the pan covered so it doesn't dry out.

Actually it might be better just to put the pan in the oven set at 95°C or 200°F, this way you won't have a boiling hot pan sitting on top of your stove for days.

 

[prs]

I read also, on Gia, that the pinkish lavender ones are the suspect ones.

https://www.gia.edu/doc/Some-Observations-on-the-Treatment-of-Lavender-Jadeite.pdf

I just realized this article was written in 1982. Hopefully GIA have learned a thing or two since then!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Hi Guys!

Just ducking in to let you know I haven't had time to hear the blueberry so the bangle is just sitting in it, not much is happening!

Will heat it when I have time!

The blueberry sauce is calling out to me! Might make blueberry trifle soon (no not with the bangle soaked stuff!!!!!)

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

Well, you’re making me hungry!

 

[qubitasaurus]

Can we have pictures of the baked goods? I suck at cooking, so I am always in awe of everyones elses successes.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Can we have pictures of the baked goods? I suck at cooking, so I am always in awe of everyones elses successes.

Here are two old ones! I am making sticky buns today!

Chicken Pho


Tiramisu cake for Pink Bandit's birthday this year

 

[strawrose]

Here are two old ones! I am making sticky buns today!

Chicken Pho


Tiramisu cake for Pink Bandit's birthday this year

Why am I looking a pictures of yummy food on a jewelry forum? *drool*

 

[qubitasaurus]

Here are two old ones! I am making sticky buns today!

Chicken Pho


Tiramisu cake for Pink Bandit's birthday this year

That cake looks so good it is making me want to lick my phone .

 

[elliefire99]

Soooo @mellowyellowgirl ... Any results from this experiment? I assume nothing exciting, or we would have heard by now

Did you end up removing the wax?

 

[prs]

Here I was thinking mellow had the makings of a true scientist, but how wrong I was!

She let's life life get in the way of science!!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Hi Guys! I didn't get a chance to heat it! I had a tonne of chores and every time I was free it was night time and I just couldn't be bothered boiling it after a day of cooking (Pink Bandit and the kid eat a lot).

I will take it out and take pics tomorrow to see if anything happened at all!

 

[peacechick]

Hi Guys! I didn't get a chance to heat it! I had a tonne of chores and every time I was free it was night time and I just couldn't be bothered boiling it after a day of cooking (Pink Bandit and the kid eat a lot).

I will take it out and take pics tomorrow to see if anything happened at all!

No hurry, mellow! Duty comes first!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Nothing happened! Boo

I suspect it requires a lot of boiling.

Maybe when I've got more time to devote to it. I run around all day out of the house so can't really have it boiling away.

 

[ChaiK]

Those are lovely. Don't remove the wax. Maybe re-wax them to make them oily and shiny again. So lovely and what calming colours!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Those are lovely. Don't remove the wax. Maybe re-wax them to make them oily and shiny again. So lovely and what calming colours!

The beads go surprisingly well with a lot of my clothes and are REALLY good during the hot aussie weather! I wear them so often because I find gold chains can cause my neck to flare up especially all the pokey designs whereas these (and my green beads) don't aggravate the skin.