Product Composition : BGGE Gift Shop

What Are BGGE Gift Shop's Products Made Of?
Alabastrite		Alabastrite is a product line name for polyresin items. Alabastrite is a stone-based material which can be intricately molded producing great detail, and will allow paint to adhere. These items may be cleaned by dusting; however, they should not be washed with water as they are painted with water-soluble paints.
Bone China		White clay with bone ash added. Bone ash content must be at least 25% by U. S. guidelines. Fired at 1800 degrees. The translucent material is finished with a glaze or underglaze (matte). Lighter, stronger, more expensive than porcelain.
Cubic Zirconia		The most successful simulated diamond. Properties such as refraction, hardness, and specific gravity are remarkably similar to diamonds. Example: 27432. Cubic zirconias are very hard to distinguish from diamonds; sometimes a jeweler’s loop will be needed to see the difference.
Diamond		Extremely hard, highly refractive colorless or white crystalline of carbon. Diamonds, like all gemstones, are judged in terms of Carats, or weight (different from Karats, as in gold purity).
Dolomite		Usually gray, pink, or white mineral, essentially used as a construction and ceramic material, a furnace refractory, and infertilizer. A magnesia-rich sedimentary rock resembling limestone.
Frosted Acrylic		Acrylic items are given the French Lilac process, (used on glass), to achieve the distinctive frosted look.The drama of frosted glass without the weight.
Gemstones		Rubies, sapphires, emeralds and amethysts, often treasured as birthstones, fall under the category of gemstones. (Birthstones are listed in the back of your WOP catalog.) Gemstones are priced and graded by Carat weight
Gold		The ultimate precious metal. Virtually indestructible, amazingly malleable, doesn't rust or tarnish. Graded by purity; in the U.S. a scale of 24 is used, so 24 Karats (24K) is 100% pure. 18K is 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloy (other metals), and so on. 10K is the legal minimum for Karat-graded gold. The word "Plumb" indicates the exact purity of the piece.
Gypsum		Gypsum is made for a white mineral which is usually used to make Plaster of Paris.
Hong Tze		Products are created using a special stone found in China, and known for its deep red color. The stone is pulverized, mixed with a binding agent and molded, much like alabastrite. Hong Tze pieces are highly polished, further bringing out the intense deep red of the stone.
Jade Porcelain		Jade porcelain is a type of porcelain made with a finer clay. Usually no glaze or only a colorless glaze will be applied at the final firing to show off the very smooth surface and to preserve the translucency. Example: 27112. Jade Porcelain is used for night lights because of its high degree of translucency when lit.
Patchwork		European designer fabric is stretched over Ceramic figurines, then coated with twelve layers of lacquer. Each application of lacquer is hand-polished, for a rich shine and an ultra-smooth finished texture. The texture of the fabrics can only be seen in the final pieces, not felt, because of the twelve layers of lacquer covering them.
Pearl		A smooth, lustrous, variously-colored deposit formed around a grain of sand in the shell of a certain mollusk. Pearls may be formed naturally or "cultured" through an artificial implanting process.
Porcelain		Fine ground white clay, molded and fired in an oven for eight hours at 1200 degrees. Finished with a glazed, underglazed, or "bisque" finish. Glazing produces a high gloss; underglaze produces a matte finish. Bisque is a matte finish without glaze. After finishing, the item is "cooked" for six hours at 800 degrees.
Sterling Silver		To qualify as "sterling" a given piece must be composed of a least 92.5% pure silver.
Stoneware		White clay with fine ground stone. Working with stoneware demands great expertise, and is in fact becoming a lost art. Stoneware is safe to use in microwave and conventional ovens.