No common natural material comes anywhere close to melting like Gerstley Borate (GB). It begins to melt between 1550F and 1600F and is a clear amber glass by 1750F and ultraclear and glossy by cone 06 (Ulexite melts better but it is not commonly in use in ceramics). It has thus been a staple among potters for many years. 50% can be found in many cone 06-02 glazes, up to 30% in cone 6 glazes. Gerstley Borate is also very plastic and thus suspends and hardens glazes as they dry. It has the plasticity and the ability to retain water. A GB slurry can take many hours to dewater on a plaster batt, even in a very thick layer. Thus it is common to find Gerstley-Borate-based recipes having no clay content.