electricmonk
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
Posts: 281
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Post by electricmonk on Aug 31, 2014 17:13:47 GMT -5
Anyone know of a quality seller? I see quite a bit on ebay but when you are buying a few lbs out of a huge pile its a gamble, at least that is how I am looking at it.
Before I pull the trigger on an unknown thought I would ask here.
Thanks!
Erik
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller 
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,064 
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Post by gemfeller on Sept 6, 2014 22:18:07 GMT -5
Erik, this stuff isn't cheap anymore. I recall a time long ago when nobody wanted it and top grade was 50-cents a pound or less. I could have bought tonnage of fine river-tumbled absolutely clean pieces with gold brushes and "stars." Times have definitely changed! Major lapidary artists like Lawrence Stoller and others have cut fine art pieces that greatly popularized the stone. Supply turned out to be much lower than demand so rough prices skyrocketed. If you want quality material buy from a knowledgeable seller. But get out the electrical paddle heart-starters when you look at the prices. Here's one: www.mineralminers.com/html/rtqlrgh.stm |
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electricmonk
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
Posts: 281
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Post by electricmonk on Sept 6, 2014 22:30:28 GMT -5
Erik, this stuff isn't cheap anymore. I recall a time long ago when nobody wanted it and top grade was 50-cents a pound or less. I could have bought tonnage of fine river-tumbled absolutely clean pieces with gold brushes and "stars." Times have definitely changed! Major lapidary artists like Lawrence Stoller and others have cut fine art pieces that greatly popularized the stone. Supply turned out to be much lower than demand so rough prices skyrocketed. If you want quality material buy from a knowledgeable seller. But get out the electrical paddle heart-starters when you look at the prices. Here's one: www.mineralminers.com/html/rtqlrgh.stmGood god almighty! Beautiful material but way more pricey than I was expecting. Was considering buying some small tumbling/cabbing rough on ebay. Might do that and hope for the best, really don't mind taking a small piece and cabbing it free hand. LOL seems like all the fun material was mined/sold before I was on the scene. Ahh well, I was never that trendy to begin with  Thanks for taking the time to reply good sir! |
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,064
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Post by gemfeller on Sept 6, 2014 23:10:37 GMT -5
Happy to try to help. There's plenty of tumbling grade stuff available from several sources but don't expect much cab grade. I can't possibly know the quality of everything that's out there but I'd warn you not to expect too much.
The trick in the gem biz IMO is figuring out what's going to be the Next Big Thing. I did that with precious opal and red spinel. But I batted out with spessartite garnet. The limited supply suddenly exploded, choking the market with far more fine Afican material that it could absorb -- at that time. I still have a bunch that I bought low. Prices are going up again. Wish I'd done the same with rutilated quartz. I still have a few choice pieces I can't decide whether to cut or sell as rough.
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electricmonk
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
Posts: 281
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Post by electricmonk on Sept 6, 2014 23:42:31 GMT -5
Happy to try to help. There's plenty of tumbling grade stuff available from several sources but don't expect much cab grade. I can't possibly know the quality of everything that's out there but I'd warn you not to expect too much. The trick in the gem biz IMO is figuring out what's going to be the Next Big Thing. I did that with precious opal and red spinel. But I batted out with spessartite garnet. The limited supply suddenly exploded, choking the market with far more fine Afican material that it could absorb -- at that time. I still have a bunch that I bought low. Prices are going up again. Wish I'd done the same with rutilated quartz. I still have a few choice pieces I can't decide whether to cut or sell as rough. That is one thing I love about RTH, the long time collectors who, on occasion, offer up some older material to members. When I first joined I was in a bit of an obsessive mode and picked up some nice material for not a lot of money. I am just now getting the shop in order after a 2 year hiatus. Its been interesting to go through the material I picked up and try to jog the old memory banks. Even have some nice picture jasper and Morrisonite from Catmandew when he offered it up a couple of Christmases ago. I haven't been investing in material to resell (don't have the money or room in any case) but in hopes of turning it into a hobby/home business down the road. Really my aim is to make jewelry from rough to finish, like so many others here do. I have been working in robotics for the last 12 years and there is just no creativity in my job. I used to build custom houses and do woodworking but that was another lifetime. Really has been an amazing experience, trying hard not to look on it like I missed out on years past. Still have a few good decades or more left in me I imagine  |
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,548
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Post by tkvancil on Sept 9, 2014 10:07:20 GMT -5
Kingsley North has tumbling rough that they say is around 1" in size. 10$ per pound in smaller quantities. Not being a cabber I'm not sure if that size is usable for individual pieces. I mention because it's one of the lowest prices I've seen for that sort of rough and their stuff is usually decent.
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