Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2008 15:33:56 GMT -5
Hey Spirit Stone, Thanks so much for your replies. I really enjoy getting other opinions on things other than my own. I am a known perfectionist with OCD issues LOL I CAN and DO go overboard with "striving for perfection" but I also realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are always exceptions to the rule. Some stones just speak to me. They are real treasures regardless of appearance. What you said about people having vastly different ideas about the value of something is sooo very true. Reminds me of someone once saying that they had divided their tumbled stones according to quality.........as in #1's, 2's, and 3's. They were priced according to this system. Then, some woman came along and bought every single one of the 3's. Not because of the price but because she thought they were prettier than all of the #1's LOL.  Shannon |
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granpaw
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rocks...The oldest living things on earth.
Member since October 2007
Posts: 111
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Post by granpaw on Jan 4, 2008 9:51:25 GMT -5
I voted to ignore, however, it would not be right to conceal it. If it is a really bad one and the stone might break in use toss it in the tumbler and start over. To look at it from another angle, stones are unique and perfect already, it is our imposing our own standards of perfection that is flawed. Take for example the unfinished/broken arrowhead pendant I wrapped a while back, I wondered if the artisan knapping the flint tossed it when he saw the line of druse in the peice and figured it would break.  |
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adrian65
Cave Dweller 
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,790
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Post by adrian65 on Jan 4, 2008 10:04:13 GMT -5
It depends on the stone and on the pattern. If you have a great pattern, such as a landscape or so, you should ignore the flaws and finish the cab. If you could select another cab, which is better, ten you should dispose the cab with flaws. So, I vote the midle path.
Adrian
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Post by Tonyterner on Jan 4, 2008 13:33:55 GMT -5
If I wait until I can make an unflawed cab I'll never get one finished. LOL I would most likely toss it in the tumble pile unless it was a really nice stone. Then I would try to reshape if possible.
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Post by Michael John on Jan 5, 2008 15:24:32 GMT -5
With anything, perfection is an admirable goal and something to strive for, but one can take it too far. Although "perfect" cabs may be a goal, that doesn't mean that cabs which are less than perfect are completely unacceptable to most people. Sometimes, the beauty of the particular nature of the stone used far outweighs the fact that there is a slight "imperfection" in that piece. IMO, expecting "perfection" from nature is an unreasonable demand. Looking at a beautiful stone and casting it aside due to a small imperfection is akin to "seeing the glass as half empty".
This subject reminds me a lot of audio recording. These days, with digital recording technology, "professional" recordings are expected to be "perfect". A "clunker" would be COMPLETELY unacceptable. With a digital audio workstation, it's easy to tweak every parameter of every recorded sound. A mediocre singer's performance can be easily turned into a world-class performance within a couple of hours, using digital "slight of hand". Slightly sharp or flat notes can be corrected, held notes can be stretched and leveled, a weak voice can be made to sound powerful, etc. At what point is there a line drawn regarding honesty, integrity, and "truth in performance"? This is actually a highly heated topic, as truly great musicians feel that this sort of "wizardry" is misrepresentation, dishonesty, and nothing short of a lie. This lie is revealed when you see these candy-coated BIG NAME acts perform live, and they suck. Okay ... think of these "sucky" acts as the mass-produced, crap cabs that are commonly available.
When you see a truly amazing musician live, a performer who brings tears to your eyes, it's an amazing experience. However, I've never seen any performer who didn't make at least one clunker or two during a performance. But you know what? It never matters. The overwhelming beauty of the performance is what it's all about. I'd much rather see a virtuoso performance with a few clunkers than "flawless mediocrity". Think of this as a gorgeous cab with a slight, natural flaw.
In a nutshell ... and please excuse this one instance of vulgarity ...
Shit happens. Get over it.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2008 16:40:35 GMT -5
rockitman,
Yeah, just another thing for my obsessive side to worry about. LOL
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geogoddess
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 287
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Post by geogoddess on Jan 5, 2008 17:51:29 GMT -5
I came to this thread late... I voted ignore...because like someone else said, its not "right" to cover it up (unless its a piece for me). But that does have some conditions.... if its a small flaw... or something like a vug... ok.... but if its a crack or something that might cause the integrity of the piece to fail I toss it back into the tumbler. Something that is the fault of the maker of the cab or pendant or what not... I'm less forgiving on. Gouges caused by saws, or grinding wheels or the like... what little experience I have with that... I'd start over. Even chips caused by some greater flaw, start over. Case in point.... not the best picture of the stone: jewelrybyleyla.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/img_0020.jpg... but this piece of amethyst went through about 3 weeks of rough grit, before going into cushioned finer grits. At that point I felt confident enough that the white horizontal line near the top would not cause the stone to break. This was a gift for my mother, and she asked me the same thing "does the stone have a crack" to which I was confidently able to reply that it was in the stone had tumbled for a month and a half, and had not broken down any farther, unlike some of its tumble-mates. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2008 18:53:52 GMT -5
I think I may have gotten people onto the wrong subject by talking about about striving for perfection........as many are talking about how striving for a PERFECT cab would drive them crazy and they would never get anything done. I obviously cannot produce perfect cabs either and usually get to the point where I decide that my experience (or lack of) will not allow me to improve a piece any further. My interest was in knowing what everyone does with their cabs when a flaw is discovered during the cabbing process, and skill level really doesnt pertain to that as all of us can end up with flaws that appear halfway through. Sorry if Ive confused anyone. Its my first poll and I think I might have done better by wording it differently or adding a few other options. All of your replies have been great.
Shannon
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geogoddess
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 287
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Post by geogoddess on Jan 5, 2008 19:12:21 GMT -5
The problem may be in how one defines a flaw...
A crack that leads to a broken cab, I think would be considered by all a flaw....
But some people may not consider a vug a flaw... and others will.
I've seen some artists do some amazing things with what most people would consider a flawed material.
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