Cabbing & "Facing" Fire Agate

I am still just started up on the grade that is the fire agate learning curve, I will admit to having ruined about 8 pieces so far, cut three that might be usable for wire wrapping and not much else.

It is in my opinion probably the most demanding stones I've every experienced in terms of needing to read how the fire is being revealed and anticipating which layers will present the best play of color.

If you've read up on this website:

tomsdomain.com/tdagate.htm

I'd say you should get some and start working on it yourselves, the subtleties are really tough to convey in e-mail, and practice is the only way any of us get any better at this stuff.

Results of first practice on Fire Agate. Only one with any real "fire" in it... the rectangle on the right. The others still ended up as pretty cabs, though.



Not too bad, but definitely NOT an easy material to work with. Found most of the prettiest parts under the matrix on the ugliest looking part of the rough stone. They're not joking when they say to watch out for the pieces you're tempted to throw out as "junk!" Hard to take a picture and capture it... I'll have to practice that.

Now for the good part... the gloss from this new leather wheel as opposed to the canvas one! Whoa, Nellie!!!

I think they look great! The real experts on fire agates would be stoner and freeform. But looks like you will be fine on your own. You just need practice thats all. Now where are the boulder opal cabs?

Another question...

Once you have cabbed and fully polished the fire agates are they translucent or does the fire "glow" just from the top/upper surface?

(Can you tell I've never seen one up close and personal? ;D)

Lady B

The ones on each side basically got "cut through" you can see the clear orbs left behind in the one on the right.

The one in the center is one of my better results.

RH- As for the bubbly pieces, the best results I've seen are where carvers go into them with diamond burrs and sanding disks so the shape can be preserved, because diving in and flattening or doming as you suggest is almost certain to destroy a lot of the fire, unless the piece has a thick enough layer of clear chalcedony over it.

Lady B- The actual fire layers usually block most of the light from behind, there is usually brown or orange translucent/opaque transitional stuff- but often much of the material is translucent or even transparent

As i ve stated many times before. Fire agate is always best worked as a carved stone. Though in some cases, one can pull off a tradistional style cab of fire agate. IN most cases, one losse 40-80% of the fire. Most Fire agate is cut this way, which actaully lowers the real value.

IN cases of just starting to learn how to cut, thats gonna happen, so dont feel bad about it by any means. My best piece of advise is, never hurry yourself when cutting fire agate. Often you will see color peaking out, and one easily gets excited. However, becasue the nature of the "fire layer", as Rally points out. You can blow through it no problem. And then its just another chalcedony sard agate. [Which actaully is what most fire agate really is, untill the fire is cut from it.]

Looking at your cabs, they are good for just starting out cabbing period. But i would consider them riuned if i were approched to buy such cabs label as Fire agate.

When it comes to cutting Fire agate, grade is the biggest factor. Rally's piece in the middle is middle grade, if the color was brighter, and greener, it would be a high grade. Notice the bubble saturation. These often can be deep fire layer, so typical cabbing can be pulled off with these much easier. However, this is the catch. If a high grade piece is cab in the tradistional way, it will always bring a lesser value then if the piece was carved to follow the layers better. Pulling out the full saturation of the layer.

IN the link Rally provides, notice the high grade piece he cabbed, and the ones he carved. Now, that is a nice cab, but image a nest of purple and green eggs. Vers a standard dome cabochon. Ive sold dime size fire agate cabs i carved for over $100 easy. When similar grade "cab" fire agate would not really sell. Becasue unless the person is there to see the color, its very hard to pull off in a photo unless the grade is top notch. I am sure your pieces show actaul fire, vers just a chalcedony sard color. But its very hard to tell.

Sheri: In order to cut those bubbles, you must work it as a carving. But that doesnt mean the full labor is spent on a dremel or similar carving type unit. I use a tumbler for fire agates, actaully its the only time i use a tumbler. I use my trim saw and grinder as well. Fire agate is one of those stones that need to be worked on just about every machine you got. Being such an organic looking stone. Theres just no way in most cases to slab and cab the stuff like we normally think.

Those open eyes are important to see. Rally's cab on the right side shows that well. The dark fire agate bubbles, no matter how small will start to show the same opening eye when you are cutting past the color layer. If you start to see the opening eye, stop right away and put the piece down for another day. Ive got fire agates ive been working on for years.

As well, like opals, it doesnt hurt to start/or use, your latter grinding stage[220] to work the magority of a nice piece of fire agate. As the problem lies when you start to see fire using your cosrest grinding wheel. Sure it cuts down to that fire fast, but what if the layer is less than 1mm thick when you get to it? The refining and sanding stages will most like blow through the layer, resulting in the open eye.

Because like most stones, grade is a hugh factor to how easy it is to cut. Fire agate can be worked as a tradistional cab. But if you spent a nice dollar on a real nice piece. Its worth saving it and working it to its fullest potenial. And not try to speed through cutting it. As then its just another cab like what comes from overseas or thrid world lapidaries.

ladybeabea: Ive seen what i call "ghost fire", this happens when a tiny amount of the Iron staining, migrates into a single extremely thin layer in the clear chalcedony. It shows a fire effect, though never extreme or colorful. It can happen. But the best grade comes from dark iron inclusions of limonite. These incluions are always opaque.

Here is a link to some ive worked, not all the best i would like. And some still not finished.
www.forums.freeformcabs.com/viewtopic.php?t=62

ANd i still have a parcel up for trade if anyone is interested;
www.forums.freeformcabs.com/viewtopic.php?t=57

I also have lots of chalcedony sard if anyone is interested in trading for some to play with. You may or maynot find fire in it, but it is basically what everyone calls fire agate. So, its great for praticing on.

Great cabs.....MrP