Denatured Alcohol for Stones
Jeff R Graham shares his thoughts on various topics in Just Ask Jeff. See the use of denatured alcohol in Just Ask Jeff: What Kind of alcohol should I use?
Denatured Alcohol for Stones
Use denatured alcohol to melt the wax off of stones by soaking the stones in a small jar filled with it. Make sure the jar has a good air tight lid. You do not want to spill any of the alcohol and it also evaporates.
An added benefit from soaking the wax off stones in a jar is that after you have done it for a while the lacquer builds up in the alcohol and this solution can be used for the dopping process.
Alcohol is also used to clean all the surfaces (dop & stone) before dopping.
I use denatured alcohol. It costs a little more than other types of alcohol, but it has the advantage that you can use it to burn in an alcohol lamp, which I prefer for dopping.
You can buy it at any hardware store. A quart goes a long way.
Note: The alcohol will evaporate from your lamp, especially in hot climates. So I only fill it a little bit at a time unless I know I am going to be using the lamp a lot.
Jeff R. Graham
The late Jeff Graham was a prolific faceter, creator of many original faceting designs, and the author of several highly-regarded instructional faceting books such as Gram Faceting Designs.
Related Articles
Tucson Gem Show 2008
How to Identify Synthetic Rough in Gemstone Parcels
Master Faceter
How to Score Polishing Laps
Latest Articles
Peridot Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Traditional Diamond Cut Grading Methods
Cutting a 294-ct Trilliant Morganite: An Interview with Steve Moriarty
Tourmaline Engagement Ring Stones: the Ultimate Guide
Never Stop Learning
When you join the IGS community, you get trusted diamond & gemstone information when you need it.
Get Gemology Insights
Get started with the International Gem Society’s free guide to gemstone identification. Join our weekly newsletter & get a free copy of the Gem ID Checklist!