micellular
has rocks in the head
Rock fever is curable with more rocks.
Member since September 2015
Posts: 640
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Post by micellular on Mar 28, 2016 13:49:15 GMT -5
I went to the Roseville Rockrollers show this weekend and got the honor of test driving a really sweet Fac-ette machine. Wow! So addictive! Yet another way to spend money on rocks! He was kind enough to donate a morganite to my cause. It apparently came from a chipped up commercial stone that he recut once, but didn't like it, so he sacrificed it to my learning. I was able to finish the pavilion in ~ 4 hours, and will be back in a few weeks to get the other side. Must have made all the rookie mistakes! Overcut the second tier and had to start over, then accidentally hit the stone on the edge of the 6" lap TWICE. So I had to start over three times. Meets are terrible, but the polish isn't bad and boy did I have a lot of fun.     Then I went and got myself into trouble at Intergem. Spent 2 hours at a booth, picking through some pretty fractured material for some possible facet rough. They are tiny - the small (grossular?) garnets and tourmaline are <1 ct each, so after cutting they will be teeny stones, maybe 3 mm and 0.2 ct. The aquamarine isn't bad, at ~1.5 g each, but one has a large veil that kill almost a third of the weight from the outset. And I'm just a sucker for teal tourmaline...  |
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Post by Pat on Mar 28, 2016 14:20:41 GMT -5
Sounds like you had a wonderful time!
Don't know anything about faceting.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 28, 2016 15:48:59 GMT -5
The fun you had came shining through your post!!! You go, girl!
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller 
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059 
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 28, 2016 16:19:18 GMT -5
Nice work. Looking forward to seeing the finished crown. Transferring can sometimes be something of a challenge.
If you think cabbing is a money-magnet, wait until you take the plunge into faceting! But it's great fun and very satisfying when you finally see a finished stone come off the dop. You appear to have natural cutting skills.
Your rough looks great too. Blue-green tourmaline is lovely. The yellow grossular garnets appear to me to be from Mali, otherwise known as Mali Garnet. The Mali material contains high R.I. andradite garnet that results in very brilliant stones if properly cut. Facetable yellow grossular also comes from East Africa and while it cuts bright stones it lacks that andradite "kick."
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Mar 28, 2016 16:31:24 GMT -5
I agree with Miss Pat & Miss Rockjunquie! Nice work Michelle.
I too have thought about trying faceting, but I'm sure that will be waiting for some time. Guess it's on the bucket list lol.
Be sure to post updates. The gem looks great already!
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micellular
has rocks in the head
Rock fever is curable with more rocks.
Member since September 2015
Posts: 640
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Post by micellular on Mar 28, 2016 17:13:51 GMT -5
Nice work. Looking forward to seeing the finished crown. Transferring can sometimes be something of a challenge. If you think cabbing is a money-magnet, wait until you take the plunge into faceting! But it's great fun and very satisfying when you finally see a finished stone come off the dop. You appear to have natural cutting skills. Your rough looks great too. Blue-green tourmaline is lovely. The yellow grossular garnets appear to me to be from Mali, otherwise known as Mali Garnet. The Mali material contains high R.I. andradite garnet that results in very brilliant stones if properly cut. Facetable yellow grossular also comes from East Africa and while it cuts bright stones it lacks that andradite "kick." I figure this transferring first stone will be quite an interesting challenge, since my approach to dopping cabs is pretty loosey-goosey. The sticker shock is rather high, but no better time than now, while I'm still young and foolish and kid-free. Thanks for the comments on the rough. The morning after, I was a little worried that I had made a poor impulse buy. I did know enough to check for open C-axes on all the tourmalines. I believe (rather, I hope) you are right about the Mali garnets. I first looked at them because the seller had some very tiny faceted stones. One, that weighed in at a hefty 0.02 ct, was so brilliant despite its size that I thought it was diamond. He was 80% sure that they were cut from the same rough (it was his uncle's material that he inherited). But, the proof is in the cutting! |
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 28, 2016 17:40:12 GMT -5
[quote author=" micellular " source="/post/856624/thread" timestamp="1459203231Thanks for the comments on the rough. The morning after, I was a little worried that I had made a poor impulse buy. I did know enough to check for open C-axes on all the tourmalines. I believe (rather, I hope) you are right about the Mali garnets. I first looked at them because the seller had some very tiny faceted stones. One, that weighed in at a hefty 0.02 ct, was so brilliant despite its size that I thought it was diamond. He was 80% sure that they were cut from the same rough (it was his uncle's material that he inherited). But, the proof is in the cutting![/quote] Open C on tourms is a must for faceting. Even when open you can get some unpleasant cross-colors. I've cut a lot of Mali garnets and the shape of your rough is pretty typical. This image is some of my own rough. Color varies depending on the proportions of grossular to andradite and other minor factors.  |
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Post by mohs on Mar 28, 2016 19:03:05 GMT -5
That really cool Michelle
I always thought that where I was headed
Love compound angles!
I realize though ---that hobby takes lots of attention, space, & money
all in short supply around here.
I saw a faceting machine, an old classic indeed,
really nice attachment set-up from what I could tell,
and from what little I know,
for 300 bucks.
I wanted to buy it just because it was mechanically antiquitish.
I could tell though--
with attention & experience a person could turn out some really nice gems from it.
good luck in that adventure
you’ll be really good at it
EdMohs
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Post by radio on Mar 28, 2016 19:21:26 GMT -5
Off to an awesome start!
If you need some disposable practice material, I have a big bag of Oregon Sunstones i will donate a few of to the cause
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,722
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 28, 2016 20:06:21 GMT -5
So nice to see you picking up a new hobbie,keep at it,you will get the hank of it......Niceeeeee stuff-SCORE...
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bills
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2016
Posts: 93
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Post by bills on Mar 28, 2016 22:27:07 GMT -5
I starting a class on faceting next week at my rock club next week I had my orientation this week looks like a challenge.
bill
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2016 9:50:02 GMT -5
Bad@ss... Nice work michelle!
I vote michelle rookie of the year!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Apr 4, 2016 12:45:00 GMT -5
Great work on the facetting. There is precious little opportunity to try one's hand over here, or I'd have been there already! I'll have to stick to putting bevelled edges on my cabs for a while longer, but one day ...
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santabarbara
having dreams about rocks
Member since February 2017
Posts: 50
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Post by santabarbara on May 27, 2017 19:54:05 GMT -5
i am really interested in learning to facet but the machines are so expensive and it seems the cheap vintage ones are not nearly as "easy" to use as the new tech ones
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geodes4u
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2009
Posts: 144
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Post by geodes4u on May 27, 2017 21:31:31 GMT -5
Watch for auctions and at rock shows; they are available. It is easy to learn, and the old stuff (like mine), are very easy to use. If things are straight and tight, then it is all about repeatability (sp?).
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rebeccaink
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2017
Posts: 190 
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Post by rebeccaink on May 28, 2017 18:39:05 GMT -5
Sounds like fun! Looks like you're going to be posting more pictures like this soon....😉
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