THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE GEMSTONE MATERIALS FROM GRANITE IN TAK PROVINCE

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the chemical composition of Tak granites and the hardness, and to develop this stone as an alternative material in commercial jewelry. In a data collection, an interview was employed to collect the data from a granite expert who has experienced in the business around Tak’s area. From the interview, the researcher found that granite is widely used in floor tile industrial, statue, furniture, garden sculpture and sign. Additionally, the random sampling was used to investigate the chemical composition features by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Furthermore, the researcher collected the samples in four colors; black, grey-black, grey and grey-pink, and the different colors gave the different chemical compositions. Moreover, the researcher found that Tak granites mainly consist of quartz and feldspar, and has the hardness in 6-7, especially the black fine-grained which has toughness and density features. In cutting, the cabochon cut is a suitable for granite because it is the outer curved surface with flat-based cut. In addition, the cabochon cut works beautifully in an opaque stone, and this cutting can reduce the weight of granite when making jewelry.