thank you jackie-- another thing about Mica-- one variety is called issenglass-- and used to make "window's" on franklin stoves.. Mica is a good fire wall.. Lets throught the warms, but keeps the flames at bay.. you are one of the warmest people here, so there is an other way that you are like mica. Mica can take a lot of heat.. and still be okay, and mica tempers hot flames, but let through the warmth!

diamonds are good for me, since i can be very hard-- and diamonds can sparkle, even when they are flawed..(and diamonds are often flawed) i have some surprizing attributes too, diamond fluoresce.. (change color when exposed to different frequencies of light.) in ordinary light, i might seem clear, or almost clear.. but under special lighting, i can be orange.. or blue! I am not always what you expect... I can be lowly grit, and not much more than an tool for shaping things. or i can be a precious jewel!