Help with adding cubic zirconia to beads.
 

2 out of 3 fractured right at the stone. Any tips on what I did wrong? My bead was hot the whole time and immediately put in the kiln for annealing. I tried to upload a picture but size is too large and I don't know how to make it smaller. Thanks for any tips.

The grade of the CZ matters, I think I've read you shouldn't go lower than AAA, though I routinely use AA with very small CZs. What size were you using?

I have the best success when I add lots of insurance heat to the bead after I add the CZ, especially to the area around the CZ. Don't heat until soft. When I put my CZ beads into the kiln right away without the extra heat, they always crack right around the CZ.

HTH,
Helene

I used 2 mm and 2.5 mm grade AAA and in each bead 1 out of 3 CZ's had fractures around it. Thanks for the tips, I will try giving extra heat before putting it in the kiln.

I never use anything over 2mm. The larger ones always crack for me.


Aimee

I have used 2mm and 2.5mm CZ's successfully with the insurance heat method, but only one CZ per bead. I usually use one CZ on one side of a 1" lentil. I have not had good success with multiple CZ's that large in one bead.

Is it possible that either the encasing is too thin on top of the CZ or that you applied them directly over silver foil or silver laden glass?

Is it possible you aren't using the "cast in place" CZs? I am not familiar with what Aa or AAA indicates, so I'm sorry if it means they are castable. But if that just addresses quality, as it does in other stones, it could be you are using CZs that can't be cast. I know Rio Grande sells "cast in place" CZs, although I have never tried them bigger than 2.5mm size. Jeri

I have never had any luck encasing them, so I just leave them embedded on the surface.