ivan
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 165
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Post by ivan on Mar 15, 2014 22:42:15 GMT -5
Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here goes. Have a few pieces of Catseye Tourmaline that I picked up from a tailgater at a rock show. Nothing spectacular, but it does show a Catseye. Is there anybody in our group that is familiar with this material and has worked it? Probably more suited for cabbing. Thank you very much! IV
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Thunder69
Cave Dweller
Thunder 2000-2015
Member since January 2009
Posts: 3,102
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Post by Thunder69 on Mar 16, 2014 19:45:52 GMT -5
Do you have a pic of the rough?...That would help to try to figure it out.....John
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halitedigger
starting to spend too much on rocks
Lost in the Mojave, Sierras or Itoigawa
Member since September 2013
Posts: 104
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Post by halitedigger on Mar 16, 2014 20:02:12 GMT -5
Over on Tnet - Treasure Net, there is a guy named EU Citizen who may be familiar. He cuts tourmaline among other gems. Good guy, very knowledgeable.
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ivan
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 165
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Post by ivan on Mar 16, 2014 20:23:34 GMT -5
Do you have a pic of the rough?...That would help to try to figure it out.....John As soon as I can figure out how to post a photo of the material I will do that for you. I'm pretty sure the catseye is at right angle to the "c" axis of the crystal. I'll see what I can do. Thank you very much! IV
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Post by DirtCleaner on Mar 17, 2014 9:05:11 GMT -5
To post photos it is best to have a photo hosting site like Photobucket and then go from there. You just copy the Photobucket link to your photo into the text and it should work. (The few issues you may run up against we can walk you through pretty simply.)
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ivan
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 165
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Post by ivan on Mar 18, 2014 0:57:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the notes. Didn't have much time to check out the treasure net for Mr. EU Citizen but the Forum is interesting. Guess I'll have to get out the Fisher & the Minelab in a couple of weeks.
I managed to sign up on Photobucket but had to turn down all the promotions they were offering. Maybe I can load a photo to PC than save it and transfer it to the Forum? Somehow I managed to get my photo with my thinking cap lite up as my member picture? Bad hair day an all! Thank you. IV
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lparker
fully equipped rock polisher
Still doing too much for being retired!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 1,202
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Post by lparker on Mar 18, 2014 7:32:07 GMT -5
Thanks for the notes. Didn't have much time to check out the treasure net for Mr. EU Citizen but the Forum is interesting. Guess I'll have to get out the Fisher & the Minelab in a couple of weeks. I managed to sign up on Photobucket but had to turn down all the promotions they were offering. Maybe I can load a photo to PC than save it and transfer it to the Forum? Somehow I managed to get my photo with my thinking cap lite up as my member picture? Bad hair day an all! Thank you. IV Pretty sure they have room for avatar pics, but better stick to photobucket for posting pics. I use the "direct" link at Photobucket and paste it into the "insert Image tags here. Oh, and make sure you have your pics in the folder at Photobucket that you are going to keep them in. You move the photo and the link breaks, so no pic here. Lee #1
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,785
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 26, 2014 19:33:25 GMT -5
The orientation you mention is the correct one. The small end the crystal should be the top or bottom of the stone. With a 10X loupe you should be able to see tiny fibrous-looking lines inside it oriented in the A-B axis direction. I'm sure you know they must be present or there's no "eye." Not all tourmalines have them. The "eye" direction automatically orients in round cabs but if you're cutting other shapes give a little thought to which direction the chatoyant ray will lie. The cab's bottom should be parallel to the direction of the fibers/tubes. Cat's-eye tourms are pretty easy to cut.
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ivan
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2014
Posts: 165
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Post by ivan on Apr 28, 2014 0:45:22 GMT -5
Something of interest I came across, after posting, in the book Gem Cutting Shop Helps by Hugh Leiper & Pansy Kraus. Probably just about everyone has this in the shop. Mr. Leiper wrote an article "How to Cut Cat's Eye Gems". There are a multitude of gems capable of cutting cat's eye.
This is something that I didn't realize and Hugh pointed out that it is possible to ruin the material by cutting with oil, causing the capillary action of the tubes to fill with dirt bearing cutting oil, thus reducing the effect.
To prepare a solution of sodium silicate, not too thick, dip and dry repeatedly to fill all the pores of the tubes to reduce oil or grease from entering. Hope this may help somewhat. I finished a couple without realizing that this could happen. I did notice the eye was present but not as outstanding as first noted. Ivan
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,785
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 28, 2014 1:12:11 GMT -5
Oil only affects gems with tubular inclusions instead of included crystal arrays like rutile. It can be a factor with tourmaline because they often have open tubes. Chrysoberyl is the only gem that is called "Cats-eye" without a mineral name modifier. Others have the mineral name followed by "cat's-eye." I've cut "eye" stones in scapolite, the alexandrite variety of chrysoberyl, moonstone, tourmaline, beryl and rutilated quartz. There are a number of other minerals that will yield "eyes": sunstone, aquamarine, sillimanite, apatite, actinolite, demantoid garnet, emerald, opal and several others that don't immediately come to mind.
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