Needed: 10 test carvers for Blue G!

Pat & Kris..

Thanx for the Q&A, I found it informative too as I am sure many of our forum members will also.

Kris I hope you don't mind I will be copying this all down and may quote you on some of this if I get anything to the point where I can sell it.. I too, like Pat, like to keep people informed as much as I can!!

Glad to be helping, my friends!


Pat, I'm putting the "Gem" in Gem Lawsonite for several reasons:

#1; to establish a trade name for the material. As a apparently "new to the trade" (commercially available) material, this allows for other miners/rockhounds to identify similar rock by adding a geographical designation to their offering of mineralogically similar lapidary material. We've already had reports of similar lapidary quality rock from other west coast localities. Ours is designated Panoche Hills Gem Lawsonite.

#2; to keep collectors from confusing our offerings with crystal specimens of collector grade. Those are truly rare, and justifiably high priced.

#3; to identify it as a jewelry grade material. Lawsonite as a mineral is common to deep subduction geological regions. Lapidary grade Lawsonite materials are un-usual, and are far from pure Lawsonite. Collector grade crystals are rare, and would be wasted in jewelry use.
The one faceted stone photo that I found online was interesting as a collector stone, but not attractive as a jewel.

Panoche Hills Gem Lawsonite is a conglomerate, a rock. The samples tested as "Lawsonite, Feldspar, Quartz and numerous accessory minerals." It's complex, and that complexity in my opinion, makes it attractive and pleasing. It sometimes varies in hardness, as most rocks do, making for a interesting cutting challenge. The better (and higher priced!) "top gem" grade is less included, has better translucency, tends to cut more evenly.

One comment made recently was that it's not "a newbie material" and won't cut "a Perfect stone" ... Whatever THAT is. Perfect is in the eye of the beholder, and cutters often prefer a challenge. Gem Lawsonite has been proven to produce great results even for newbies like my partner Al, and has the requisite gem qualities of hardness and durability ...
Just ask cutters who've dropped a stone from 5 feet up onto bare concrete, without a scratch!

It's not "the Perfect" gem material, but, what is? A lapidary must learn a material, and it's the learning that produces expertise. With expertise comes discernment, the ability to evaluate and judge new and different materials. And with new materials, the cycle begins again, as I'm learning with DC Obsidian ... Grrrrrrr!!!

Sometimes I have to remind myself that I LIKE difficult materials!
;D

Contrary to some opinion, Gem Lawsonite isn't granite. It's a metamorphic rock, with far more complex origins than plutonic granites. If anyone desires to stretch their brains by reading petrological reports, message me and links will be posted.
Or y'all can wait for me to post them at our field trip website, soon!


So, I hope my lecture helps, Pat. I want your customers to enjoy their Gem Lawsonite, so any questions will be cheerfully answered as soon as possible.

Don ... Excuse me, "Sam" , thanks for taking the LG to the gem show! It's great to hear about folks enjoying the stone, even the green-ish ones!


Happy Holidays, my friends!

Kris

Susan, that cab is one of my favorites! If anyone hasn't seen that cab, it's posted earlier in this thread, and proudly displayed on the Customer Creations page at our website.

And right here, again!





This was made from our "Top gem" level material, and shows that a meticulous artisan, even if she calls herself a "newbie," can get deliriously good results with this rock!

Anyone have new pics?

:drool: :drool: :drool:

Kris

That's a great idea, Denise! If you have info on contacting the right people, send it along to me, okay?


I'm posting updates to our website, and have a new grading & cutting guide at:

hand2mouthmining.net/Blue_G_-_More_Info.html

If you test cutters have specific input, observations or questions on cutting Blue G - Panoche Hills Gem Lawsonite,
you're welcome to use the email links on that page.
I check that email addy every day, it'll get you the quickest reply.

Here's a photo of one of our latest Blue G finds ...


This one was from a "scone" shaped nodule, and it slipped from my hands approaching the saw ...

And bounced!
We laughed our a**es off!
;D ;D ;D

Later, my friends!

Kris