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Subject:Nephrite ? Dragon & Carp Carving
Posted By: Georgi Wed, Nov 11, 2015 IP: 68.231.244.8

Any opinions on the type of stone and age of the piece?
Thanks









Subject:Re: Nephrite ? Dragon & Carp Carving
Posted By: Ernest Wilhelm Mon, Nov 16, 2015

A simple scratch test will tell you; take a strong needle, use enough pressure to make a 2-3 mm scratch on a sound area, tell us if this tiny scratch is black or white.
Ernest

Subject:Re: Nephrite ? Dragon & Carp Carving
Posted By: Georgi Tue, Nov 17, 2015

Does the test has to be performed on the darker parts of the stone?
I've done a test prior to my first post but it was on the lighter area. Attaching image of it.

The well-polished parts are almost very hard to scratch but other areas are more easy to scratch.
I know for sure the piece is not very recent but could be only few decades old.

It could not find a piece with similar motif. Have you seen anything like it?
Any comments on the carving techniques?

I did a density test and it comes to about 3. I did not have the right tools so the measurements are not very precise.










Subject:Re: Nephrite ? Dragon & Carp Carving
Posted By: Ernest Wilhelm Wed, Nov 18, 2015

JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION The scratch is to be done on a sound (hard)area, tell us the color of the scratch.
Ernest

Subject:Re: Nephrite ? Dragon & Carp Carving
Posted By: Georgi Thu, Nov 19, 2015

The scratch is white.

Subject:Re: Nephrite ? Dragon & Carp Carving
Posted By: Ernest Wilhelm Thu, Nov 19, 2015

In this case, depending of how easy it was to make that scratch..if it felt soft, it is soapstone, ( the needle penetrates the stone with little rersistance) if there was a slight difficulty, it is Serpentine. I hope this will help.
Ernest

Subject:Re: Nephrite ? Dragon & Carp Carving
Posted By: Georgi Sat, Nov 21, 2015

Thanks for your opinion. You need an effort to make the scratch so I guess it is harder than soapstone.
By the way, how can a scratch be black?

Subject:Re: Nephrite ? Dragon & Carp Carving
Posted By: Ernest Wilhelm Sat, Nov 21, 2015

Some stones are harder than steel, and you see that the hard stone took a shaving of the steel.


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