carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jun 25, 2012 14:55:27 GMT -5
Had one of those rare days where everything went almost too good I wanted to look for a decent labradorite for the cab contest this month. We received a new shipment so I grabbed 3 random pieces of rough and this is what it yielded. This was the first one, some nice patterns, my favorite for shield shapes. The second, not as impressive, but some really nice golds. Lastly the third, my laptop shows resolution odd at times, so I hope this pic shows how deep the purples are. Very royal Now I'm stumped what to cab! Carleton
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unclestu2u
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2012
Posts: 88
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Post by unclestu2u on Jun 25, 2012 15:12:29 GMT -5
Wow those are some nice Labs. Where do you get your rough from? I tried one seller on Ebay who was selling five pound lots. Lets just say his pictures looked good but the Lab. Well that was another issue. Stu
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Don
Cave Dweller
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
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Post by Don on Jun 25, 2012 15:35:05 GMT -5
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carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jun 25, 2012 15:50:25 GMT -5
Hi Stu,
We get our roughs from Madagascar. Our main "larger rough", (the un touched material) is sourced from a re distributor in china , where as we get our high end "slightly touched" (enough to know its guaranteed through the entire piece) is from a second sourcing company in Canada. The quantities are high, but if your looking for a cargo container etc... We can give you the contact info.
We know what you mean about the "good looking" stuff. It was not until we started truly getting the large direct shipments did we see what the stone was really about.
Did you buy rough? or slabbed/pre forms?
When you buy your material, the rough is normally a shot in the dark, you can really only know its a quality piece if it has a flashing plain that extends directly through to the other side... and that really does not happen often. The larger pieces can have half a dozen flash plains in all directions.
As for the slabs, preforms and cabs... rule number one in my opinion is camera angle. Anyone can make a slab, cab, preform look amazing (so long as it has a flash to begin with). But if you see a piece where the camera angle is say 40-80degrees off the flat flashing face, you can expect the the cab you make to only look good from the same extreme angle... if that makes sense? You want to try and find a good central flash.
When in doubt request more pics from more angles and for certain, one of the piece facing straight on.
hope that helps.
Carleton
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carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jun 25, 2012 15:55:12 GMT -5
I have as well. I believe the garden variety to be the fleck flashes, but thier high end material looks strong and full. Carleton
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Post by kk on Jun 25, 2012 17:41:48 GMT -5
But if you see a piece where the camera angle is say 40-80degrees off the flat flashing face, you can expect the the cab you make to only look good from the same extreme angle... if that makes sense? You want to try and find a good central flash. Carleton Amen; to that. Only ever bought small slabs from Finland some years ago, pricey but worth your while if you look carefully for those angles.
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Post by helens on Jun 25, 2012 23:55:14 GMT -5
Wow Carleton! So you buy lots of labradorite at a time... what do you do with it all??
I've never seen labradorite with purples and some of those odd colors you have before!
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carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jun 26, 2012 12:06:04 GMT -5
Wow Carleton! So you buy lots of labradorite at a time... what do you do with it all?? I've never seen labradorite with purples and some of those odd colors you have before! Well, were hoping to start doing some small shows in 2013, so right now were just making lots We love Labradorites and figured we would put all our eggs in one basket. I still sometimes wonder "what the heck have I done? " lol, at least now I understand "rock fever" :drool: Those purples are indeed rare, it was a nice surprise! Carleton
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Post by mohs on Jun 26, 2012 12:14:40 GMT -5
Ha Ha rock fever ! that flashed in my mind cool rough Ed
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Post by helens on Jun 28, 2012 23:19:57 GMT -5
Wow... took a look at Carleton's site, and he's got some BEAUTIFUL Labradorite and Spectralites... you weren't kidding when you said you ordered in quantity!!! Those are gorgeous and orientation perfect! Love the article about how to cut Labradorite with the orientation graphics too!!!! Thanks!! In case anyone didn't see it on his link: www.labradoritesandgems.com/How_to_cut_labradorite.html
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Jun 29, 2012 18:08:12 GMT -5
I have had two large pieces of lab forever and haven`t really cut more than a small piece of it. I`m gonna have to get busy with some of it I think. Total weight is probably 4 lbs. or more. I saw some good blues in one of them and purple in another. It has been too hot to stay out in garage where I work at for too long a time. 109 here on Tuesday.
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carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jun 30, 2012 11:31:32 GMT -5
Thank you for the kind words Helen. Glad the tips look ok, just hope they help more than confuse. We keep going through the "we should take it all off the site, this new stuff looks better" syndrome ;D
Jspencer, hope all goes well, I STILL have the first piece of labradorite rough we ever owned on the shelf, I was too scared to mess it up after staring at all the colors flashing. Now its more of keepsake. Stay cool in this heat.
Carleton
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Jun 30, 2012 23:21:17 GMT -5
About 10 last night it just got to me so I went out and looked one over and tried to match the angle that I saw the flashes in with my rock vise. I`m pretty happy with the results for the first slab. It is about a 4"x5" slab. Even the heel cut had a big blue spot in it. Attachments:
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Jun 30, 2012 23:25:07 GMT -5
This is my favorite flash in the slab although there is a nice whitish blue ice spot that seems to follow you at all angles. Attachments:
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deedolce
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2006
Posts: 1,828
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Post by deedolce on Jun 30, 2012 23:29:48 GMT -5
You have some beautiful labradorite...it's my favorite rock too Carleton, so if you had to put your rocks in one basket, I think you chose the right one! Some of those blues in your AAA grade are amaaaazing!! When I have more coffee in me, I'll try and reread your 'how to cut labradorite' again, my brain isn't taking it in to well right now. I know I LOVE that royal deep blue, and I've never seen the purple before. I say cab the purple first, so I can see what you're talking about!
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carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jul 1, 2012 1:31:58 GMT -5
Jspencer, Nice find on the slabs, I Like the second one too, its almost naturally asking to be made into a nice sized teardrop. Despite how rare some colors can be, I am always very drawn to the blue and yellow/gold material with the dark veins. Keep us posted Deedolce, Thank you. We still do the shock and awe every time we hit the rough with water or cut a new slab, it never gets old, lol. It may not be the lack of coffee, but my ability to explain. Please don't hesitate to message me if something does not make sense, my terms are un common or I missed adding anything, it would help us refine the tutorial greatly. I started one cab from the above deep purples, but here are some similar pieces from another rough a week earlier. The purples are not as deep as the new, but close. This particular piece of rough was a jigsaw puzzle to cut and was heavily cleaved, so these are not 100% but I figured I would grab you some pics to show the potential of the purple. a few cabs, 2 poorly oriented and 3 with cleavages some recent slabs that yielded the same pattern as the cab in my avatar. A slab from last night, not purple, but a testament to how symmetrical and amazing nature can be. Too bad about the concerning cleave, I hope I can save it. Hope that shows the purple well Carleton
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Post by helens on Jul 1, 2012 3:17:07 GMT -5
Wow Carleton, that purple is astonishing!!! I've never even seen photos of labradorite with that much purple before. The piece in the 2nd to last photo on the right looks FUSCHIA, or hot pink and it's so strong! Is there even another stone that does that kind of radiating in that color?
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carleton
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 277
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Post by carleton on Jul 11, 2012 2:40:06 GMT -5
Helen,
I did not want to respond too quickly and be wrong, lol, but as far as I know, I do not believe so, not with a similar schiller effect.
Carleton
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