From Nature to Wearable Art: The Tufa Sand Casting Process
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Blocks of tufa stone, ready for carving. Photo courtesy Thunderbird Supply Company, Gallup, N.M.
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The artist draws a design onto a block of tufa, a porous volcanic stone found in New Mexico and Arizona. This and the following photos, courtesy Perry Null Trading Company, Gallup, N.M.
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The artist carves the design into the stone, adding a channel through which molten silver will later be poured.
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The artist uses a torch to carburize the stone. A coating of carbon ensures that the silver will not stick to the mold.