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[spiritpieces]

Hi all,

I'm hoping the group can help.  I'm trying to source small stone vials made out of semi-precious material like amethyst and such.  They would hold a pill and be part of a necklace.  Looking around I've not found this anywhere - is this due to it can't be done due to the drilling stresses on such a small item?

Thanks,

Dave

[Enchantra]

Honestly I have never run across a vial made from stone.  Truthfully to make such a vial the stone would have to be solid - no fractures or poor cleavage lines for it to hold up to the abuse of shaping and hollowing out.  I've seen vases made of stone.  Those are much larger and thicker walled than a vial would be.  I have found wood needle cases that are lidded vials but those wouldn't suit your purpose would they?

[lithicbeads]

Drill the hole before you cut the preform. That approach stops a lot of problems in their tracks such as drill wander strting the hole and you have a large heat sink so the stone can help cool itself  and the extra mass dampens vibrations .

[Orrum]

Could u drill the hole thru the thick slab and then use a core drill to surround it. This would leave a stone pipe. Then cut a stone to glue over the bottom. Then core drill a stopper?  Or use a 30-06 case and drill the case for a jump ring snd hang it with a bullet crimped in the end. These were popular in the seventies at college, I believe they hid a joint in them! LOL

[Debbie K]

I have made a few out of chevron amethyst. I started by cutting a rectangular piece and rounding one end to an appropriate size to fit into my faceting mast. I used the faceting machine to shape the amphora shapes that I made, and then inserting the piece in a drill and used a diamond file to cut in the neck. Then used a drill dress to drill the holes with a tube diamond drill. I held the little bottle by hand, not in any holder, while drilling.

Here's one on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amphora-Gem-Necklace-by-Natures-Geometry-18K-Gold-Chrysophrase-Rock-Quartz-/122002484791?hash=item1c67ea2e37:g:YYYAAOSwLVZVobdS. I also found several more types by searching "stone or gemstone, bottle, amphora, quartz, etc." Some out of China are quite inexpensive, considering the amount of trouble they are, but I would be dubious. Some of them look like glass.

The larger size bottle that you are contemplating would require a larger hole; more time drilling; a larger piece of rough; more expensive. Amanda is correct in assuming that the rough needs to be crack and fracture free, and even clear quartz of this type isn't cheap.

Debbie K