herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on May 28, 2013 15:18:15 GMT -5
I cut my Kamambi recently, his is top-notch!
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Post by helens on May 28, 2013 18:25:41 GMT -5
Well, I think it's a gorgeous specimen, and I wouldn't cut it up... but then, I don't cut up beautiful slabs for any reason anyway...
That said, my cab is really ugly as a cab from a purely jewelry asthetic, and I can't think of anyone who'd actually wear it (tho a collector may want it to collect). Some rocks just do not make pretty cabs, even if they are gorgeous patterns. I like to keep it as a sample of the stone, but only because I don't have a specimen as nice as yours.
Before I'd consider cutting up ANY decent specimen slab of any type... I'd go to my slabette pile (of which most people have a pretty big one), and pull out something cab ready from that. If I don't have any slabettes that I'd want to cab (which isn't possible for most of us:)), I'd consider the finished cab... who'd want it? What would it go with? How would it be worn? There are plenty of GORGEOUS patterns that are stunning in a rock, but most people would not actually wear as jewelry.
Ie., I LOVE picture jaspers of any type. Love them love them... but the very best use of one would be a bolo tie. The vast majority of women I know would not buy a beautiful Deschutes or Biggs jasper to wear around their necks. Not to say that NONE would, but most would not.
I can spend all day looking at Hans Gamma's pictures, both in his book and online. I envy him his collection, such beautiful pieces, and drool and dream that I'd one day have a collection that magnificent. But would I want them all in pendants or broaches? No. Would I ever wear one? No.
I would not wreck a beautiful pattern on a stone, to turn it into what would most likely end up being costume jewelry... and I think that's why you can find a whole lot of cabs on Ebay for $.99, and slabs of that same rock starting at $9.99.
While I COMPLETELY agree that EBay's $.99 cabs are not remotely indicative of a handcut artist made cab from a rock that they spent much time contemplating the perfect design for... like lampworked glass, there are $.99 glass beads and pendants on ebay as well. It distorts the value of all our work. But like it or not, the public sees it, and it colors perceptions.
Absolutely no one can question the value of a beautiful specimen slab like you have. Cut it up and someday the cabs you spent so much time making could be seen as $.99 Ebay cabs by people who don't know better, but have checked out Ebay. If you don't cut it up, it can never be seen any differently than what it is, a rare stone that will only get rarer.
So the ONLY pieces I cab are already broken, or worthless as specimens, and again, everyone has enough of those that they don't need to destroy something with intrinsic value, to 'improve' it to look like an improved version of something cheap.
This is probably not going to be an appreciated viewpoint, but it's an honest one, and of course, from my perspective only. I can't fathom why anyone would 'improve' on something already perfect. And cutting something perfect into pieces to 'improve' it only ruins the perfection.
I recall reading a story some time ago about how to prove their humility, top koi breeders will take their best fish... ones that are worth up to $100,000, and right after winning the competition, yank it out of the pond to make sushi for everyone then and there with the fish squirming and alive.
I liken cutting up a perfect rock specimen to the same thing... "see, I don't mind destroying perfection to make something BETTER". I can understand it intellectually, but I will never understand it viscerally.
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Post by deb193redux on May 28, 2013 18:50:07 GMT -5
I'm not planning to cut this, the slab is nicer than the cab. Possible several cabs in a necklace could be nicer. Possibly several sections of this could be used in a sculpture to good effect by a talented sculptor.
I do agree that trimming a nice slab should be approached cautiously, and pic jaspers are a goo example. Too many oval cabs set with plain bezel wire by the numbers in depressingly boring pendants - but it can be exciting if you made it and you have not made many.
But taken to extreme, you line of reasoning might say not to slab the rock in the 1st place.
I also think you are overlooking specimen cabs. Not all cabs are for jewelry. Not ever slab has the most flattering outline. Sometimes framing a tile or making a specimen cab can greatly improve over the slab.
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Post by helens on May 28, 2013 19:08:41 GMT -5
Well, most rocks aren't flawless... But look how fairburn collectors and some Great Lakes collectors feel about even polishing their whole rocks, that sentiment clearly puts a higher value on a whole specimen than a cut/polished one. The perception being that only flawed and non-specimen stones got cut. But those are relatively small stones. In the case of large stones, you sometimes have to cut or break it up to just move it. But here's one I won't slab ever... What can I POSSIBLY find inside that is cuter than this round sworly big potato:)? On the other hand, what is the value of this shape? Nothing, of course it should get cut eventually (if I had a saw): Or this shape? Nothing, if I a saw, this would be a bunch of slabs too - its obvious that the slabs would be way more interesting than the rock: The overwhelming majority of rocks found are not interesting enough to keep whole... but would you cut up a deathplate with fossils all over the face? I wouldn't want to cut up a piece of a whole dinosaur skeleton either... I mean just imagine how pretty the cells must be if you could cut up one of the T-Rexes in the Museum of Natural History:P. But which is worth more, both monetarily and aesthetically? And I'm not the only one... what would Hans Gamma's collection be if he cut every one of those slabs into cabs? He wouldn't have one:P.
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Post by deb193redux on May 28, 2013 19:16:35 GMT -5
many slabs of picture jasper can be improved by some cutting - just not necessarily into jewelry sized bits.
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Post by helens on May 28, 2013 19:41:37 GMT -5
many slabs of picture jasper can be improved by some cutting - just not necessarily into jewelry sized bits. I agree with that. And in many cases, he did edge even the very big ones before polishing. I like the look of whole rough edges tho. But once a chip or piece has been knocked off in a bad place, or has an obvious fracture that will crack if dropped, then it's probably a cutting piece.
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Post by paulshiroma on May 28, 2013 21:58:35 GMT -5
Take the simplest approach - give it a nice polish, get a stand, and put it on display for others to drool over. I wouldn't be cutting piece that beautiful but that's only an opinion.
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JUDY
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 431
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Post by JUDY on May 28, 2013 22:28:31 GMT -5
I know where you can get a really nifty stand! LOL
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Post by paulshiroma on May 28, 2013 23:14:24 GMT -5
Actually, Daniel, you have to check out Judy's stands ... Seriously.
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JUDY
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 431
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Post by JUDY on May 28, 2013 23:19:16 GMT -5
Here's a picture of one of the stands ... wire wrapped
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Post by deb193redux on May 29, 2013 10:26:08 GMT -5
I would use a 6" to 8" black wood plate stand for a slab this size and weight.
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Jun 2, 2013 22:55:01 GMT -5
That is a big slab Daniel! I don't think I would do anything to it, it looks great as it is.
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