Gemstone Ceramic Experiment

For my final project in my advanced ceramics project, my professor gave me the opportunity to experiment with surface texture and finishes using gemstones. It was speculated that the gemstones would melt and change in the kilns, and the results were quite fascinating. Two vessels were throw to serve as the canvases for this experiment. Both were decorated with the same gemstones: whole opals, whole cubic zirconia, crushed amethyst, and crushed peridot. One vessel went through a single bisque firing, and the second went through a bisque and a glaze firing. Below is a photo of both vessels in their greenware state and the crystals are in their original state.