Adding Cubic Zirconias to your beads
- Place a 2mm cubic zirconia (CZ) with the top of the CZ facing up, on a graphite pad or paddle that is lying flat on a surface.
- Using a 2mm clear stringer heat the end of the stringer and lightly rotate between your fingers to achieve a small ball of molten glass at the end of your stringer.
- When the ball of glass is hot, touch the ball of glass onto the top of the cubic.
- Once the CZ sticks to the glass, place back in the flame and reposition the CZ in the glass so the point is sticking out of the end of the stringer like a pencil tip.
- Put the stringer aside to cool.
- Start making the base of your bead and decorate as desired.
- When you have the shape you are after, heat the spot where you want the cubic to go.
- Take the bead out of the flame and using a poker, quickly push a small hole into the exact place you would like the CZ to be.
- Place the bead back into the flame to heat the spot where the hole was made.
- Using the stringer made earlier, push the CZ into the hole. Allow the flame to melt enough of the clear stringer to cover the CZ.
- Reheat until desire shape is achieved or repeat steps 8 through 10 to add additional CZs to your bead.
OR
- Get the bead to the shape you like and poke a hole where you would like the CZ to go.
- Using the end of another mandrel, pick or rake, place a very small amount of molten glass on the tip. Keep the glass in a molten state and then place over the cz flat surface.
- Hence the mandrel, pick or rake becomes your control for putting the cz into your hole.
TIP
To keep the cz with its flat side facing up, use a screw and very light twist into the surface of your graphite paddle or pad. It only needs to be deep enough to hold the cz straight.
July 2004
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