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Post by connrock on Dec 27, 2004 17:48:58 GMT -5
Here are a few photo's I took of a piece of clear quartz my wife collected in VT last Sept. It was faceted into a 1.58 ct - 7.95mm thing of beauty by a fellow rockhound from WI!! I just got it today and am very excited over it. Please excuse all the dust on the stone and poor quality of the photo's.I tried to take them in a hurry before the sun went down as I don't have my photo area set up yet.     Thanks for looking,,,,, Tom  |
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Post by sandsman1 on Dec 27, 2004 18:58:29 GMT -5
WOW tom that looks very cool like a real diamond i like it
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Post by Cher on Dec 27, 2004 19:47:58 GMT -5
WOW ... That is just too cool.
What a neat idea, bet your wife loves it.
Cher
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Post by docone31 on Dec 27, 2004 20:45:20 GMT -5
Nice faceting! The pavillion would intimidate me with that portuguese cut. The girdle is faceted also.
I like that the girdle is parallel. His machine is dead on.
Real nice job.
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Post by cookie3rocks on Dec 27, 2004 22:02:33 GMT -5
OOOHHH that's pretty. I would think clear quartz is a bugger to facet. He done goo.
cookie
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Post by rockyraccoon on Dec 28, 2004 1:17:04 GMT -5
that is stunning - are y'all having it set? if so you must show it again afterward!
kim
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Dec 28, 2004 4:25:52 GMT -5
Wow Tom , that is surely the nicest piece of quartz I have ever seen.
Congrats on obtaining it
Jack
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Post by connrock on Dec 28, 2004 19:23:12 GMT -5
Thanks folks!! I had my buddy facet the quartz to the exact same size and cut of my wife's diamond! My scheme is to swap them when she goes in the hospital on Monday!! She'll never know what hit her!! I'm gunna be one rock buyin' fool come Tuesday!! Tom |
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Post by docone31 on Dec 28, 2004 19:48:51 GMT -5
I know you are fooling. The girdle is too wide to just be set in the diamond setting. Even if it could be done easily, the stone will sit higher, and the flame would be gone. Unless your wife has never seen it before, she will recognize the difference in an heartbeat.
It is a good way to protect the diamond however. Many folks have wanted me to swap out their diamond for a Zircon, or CZ. They are afraid they might lose it, and want to have their diamond where they can keep tabs on it.
It is worth putting in a fancy setting. It is well done.
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Post by creativeminded on Dec 29, 2004 13:05:12 GMT -5
You did a fantastic job on that quartz. After I get my new computer paid for I will be looking in to buying a hand faceter. I printed the information when we were talking about it earlier this year.
Tami
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Post by docone31 on Dec 29, 2004 17:39:33 GMT -5
I just went into my shop/studio. Studio during the off days. I am final polishing the pavillion on my emerald. Of course it popped off with three facets left to polish on the keel! To make matters worse, the dop was stuck in the head/quill. I had to drive the dop most of the way out, then add oil and twist the dop out.
Mind you, this is a critical angle machine. There I am hammering away on the most sensitive part, and twisting with a pair of vise grips.
Alignment is critical when transferring dops. I managed to eyeball align the stone on the dop to do the table and crown facets! I am off by .0000010 on critical angle! I hope to be able to cut the crown and minimize the differential on the girdle. I do not think it will be visible except to an expert. It will definately be better than anything done overseas.
My dops are annealed and anodized. I believe the polishing media worked its way into the dop/shaft bearing area, and oxidized. I was not happy.
In the future, I will take the dop out daily, and use Vaseline to seal the shaft openings.
I was really bummed. It was like having an accident. It happened, I was stunned, and then a calmness. I almost lost an 140,000$ stone just like that.
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HarryB41
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2004
Posts: 605
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Post by HarryB41 on Dec 29, 2004 20:14:02 GMT -5
Amazing! I do like this one. Makes me want to just learn more and more...... now where to get the money for this wonderful hobby.
Harry
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Post by connrock on Dec 29, 2004 21:22:24 GMT -5
Ewwwwwww Doc,,,,, You're one lucky fellow !! I couldn't imagine even touching a gem worth that much money!! Tom |
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Post by docone31 on Dec 29, 2004 21:34:01 GMT -5
Tom, I am not having fun. The owner is telling me, I can keep it. The studio bought it for the next movie. They have changed, their mind. I still have an emerald I have to guard with my life, and finish to their goal. Emeralds fall apart when being cut.
The raw stone has an energy that is hard to describe. It is becoming less so as the stone is being cut. It also has an enormous stress crack that didn't show untill the cutting began.
It is coming out ok. I will be glad when it is done. I have to make the pendant for it also. It will be a random wax dropping. I drop wax into cold water and then make a setting for the stone. I will be glad when it is over. I went over my head on this one.
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Post by connrock on Dec 29, 2004 21:38:51 GMT -5
Wow Doc that's like sitting on a time bomb!! I wish you the best of luck and I know it will come out just fine!! Tom |
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Post by docone31 on Dec 29, 2004 21:56:18 GMT -5
If it works, I get 1500$ for the cut alone. I have been at the pavillion for eight weeks. The pendant will be gold plus for the setting. The setting is easy. If they do not want the pendant when I am done, it is mine. However I doubt I will ever find a buyer for that stone. I also have to boil it in oil to treat the hairline fractures, and small asterisks. Standard emerald treatment. I have to let it sit in Canadian Balsam for eight weeks under mild heating. I thin the Balsam, and heat. The heating wicks the oil into the stone.
The oiling is why you never, never, never ultrasonic, steam, or ionic clean an emerald ring or earrings. It removes the oil and leaves the pits. It cannot be touched up when this happens. Same with ruby and saphire. They are all oiled. A pristine crystal is so rare it is almost nonexistant. Those fracture like no tomorrow. Look at it and it fractures.
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Post by connrock on Dec 30, 2004 18:29:40 GMT -5
I never knew about the oil treatment Doc,,,,,,,,, Thanks,,,,, Tom |
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Post by docone31 on Dec 30, 2004 19:50:56 GMT -5
Tom, I went into the shop today. We are open up three days a week, and I use it as a studio two days a week.
I am working on a custom indian wedding band. Usually they are silver, I am making this one in gold with black onyx chips.
I am adding two .051 14KY wires to the outside to add thickness.
At any rate, I also facet my emerald. I am cutting the crown and table. I may have dropped the stone off the dop, but the cuts I made today came out great. The finished shape is going to be a combination of the Aqua Cisir, by Jeff Graham, and Emerald cut by the American Faceting Guild. I also am adding a few facets.
The table had a flaw when I started. I had hoped to cut so the flaw was eliminated without too much loss. I hit it on the nose! The table is in proportion to the girdle, in proportion to the keel. The five facets I have to polish on the keel, I can jimmy after I have faceted and polished the crown/table.
It is coming out ok. I will try to photo the stone when I am done. If the studio doesn't want it, any offers? Kinda kidding. I am just happy it is working out.
For us, I would discount it to 100,000$, if the studio does change their minds. I kinda wanted one of my other pieces to hit the silver screen.
I am just so syked. So much could have happened when it fell off. Dop wax has its problems. It is thermally sensitive. I use the freezer to pop the wax on my cabs.
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Post by krazydiamond on Dec 30, 2004 20:13:56 GMT -5
please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease take a photo of this before it goes out of your hands!
i didn't know about the oils either and not to ultrasonic emeralds and rubies. thanks! how should one clean rubies and emeralds? i have an ionic cleaner and thought that was the safest!
KD
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Post by docone31 on Dec 30, 2004 20:47:10 GMT -5
No, no, no!!! An ionic cleaner can dealloy the material. It also can change turquoise after continual use. Ionic cleaners are good for sterling, and copper alloys. Occasional gold use. Platinum, I have no clue.
Dry sodium bicarbonate and a dry rag are the best. Another great way to clean jewelery is to run it in a load of wash. No bleach. Secure it, put in a pocket, and wash away. Emeralds are very fragile. They can be chipped cracked, and broken. The oil used in treatment is a base for most paints. At least oil paints. I have used boiled linseed oil for treatment. Heating will explode the stone if it is oiled, alcohol will eat the oil, acetone will eat the oil, detergent will discolour it.
Oiling emeralds has been standard treatment since about 1850 and it is not considered unnatural. Most emeralds are oiled from the mines.
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