Melt and Pour Gem Soaps

By David Fisher, About.com Guide

This soap project uses gemstone colored and/or metallic colored micas to create a gemstone look in melt and pour soap. Because the soap base is clear, the mica gives a translucent quality just like a gem, and is a lovely effect in soap. You can event embed bits of white soap base to create more "turquoise" effects. I have seen melt and pour gemstone soaps that were true works of art. This project is much simpler...and will get you started.

To make these soaps, assemble all your ingredients and materials. For this project I used:

• Basic equipment and a basic understanding of Basic Melt and Pour Soap Making
• Clear Melt and Pour Soap Base
• Colored Mica - I used an Emerald, a Gold and a Copper colored mica
• Soap Dye - You want to make sure your soap color is clear and not opaque
• Fragrance, if desired - be sure to take into account the color that the fragrance will add. You won't want to use a fragrance that has much or any vanilla in it, or it will turn the soaps brown.
• A gem-shaped soap mold - The mold I'm using is a Milky Way mold - you can find a similar one at Bramble Berry

Previous

• Let's Get Started
• Prepare the Molds for the Gemstone Soaps
• Weigh the Soap and Melt It
• Add the Color and Fragrance
• Pour the Soap Into the Molds
• Spritz with Alcohol - Let them Cool
• Unmold the Melt and Pour Gemstone Soaps
• Enjoy Your Soapy Gem Stones

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