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Post by Starguy on Jul 6, 2021 17:00:43 GMT -5
I received this in the mail today. I haven’t polished it yet. It’s enormous. 86 grams=430 carats. There is a gigantic smile on my face.  |
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Post by Starguy on Jul 6, 2021 19:06:19 GMT -5
Lightly ground and sanded to 8,000. |
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Post by amygdule on Jul 6, 2021 19:34:13 GMT -5
Nice
Now you need to straighten the legs out :)
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jul 6, 2021 19:50:12 GMT -5
Nice!  |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jul 6, 2021 20:11:46 GMT -5
Brent, I'd never heard of a Star Sapphire Boule! I had to Google it! I've always wondered what that was in your avatar...and now I believe I know!  I bet this is going to be AWESOME! |
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Post by Starguy on Jul 6, 2021 20:28:37 GMT -5
amygdule I only spent a few minutes to see what was on the end. I was pretty happy to see what I found. jasoninsd I got my first one back in the mid eighties in Quartzite. I’ve been on the hunt ever since. It’s a true sapphire, (hardness 9) only man-made. The one in my avatar is around 180 ct. this one is around 430 ct.
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
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Post by Brian on Jul 6, 2021 20:33:34 GMT -5
That is very cool! I had no idea star sapphires could be man-made. I’ve read about man-made sapphires, but now I need to find some new reading material for the star sapphires.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jul 6, 2021 20:36:28 GMT -5
amygdule I only spent a few minutes to see what was on the end. I was pretty happy to see what I found. jasoninsd I got my first one back in the mid eighties in Quartzite. I’ve been on the hunt ever since. It’s a true sapphire, (hardness 9) only man-made. The one in my avatar is around 180 ct. this one is around 430 ct. Wowzer...a 35+ year quest...and to come up with one over twice the size as the one in your avatar, I can TOTALLY understand the gigantic smile!  Way to go!!! |
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Post by Starguy on Jul 6, 2021 20:38:07 GMT -5
brian There is a lot of info out there. Flame fusion sapphire is pretty common. The star boules are harder to find. I like star anything. This is a natural star sapphire. It weighs around 3.5 pounds. 
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Post by stephan on Jul 6, 2021 22:02:25 GMT -5
That is very cool! I had no idea star sapphires could be man-made. I’ve read about man-made sapphires, but now I need to find some new reading material for the star sapphires. It’s an odd truth that most precious gemstones can be made in the lab, while semi-precious ones like agate, jasper and jade cannot. |
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Post by Starguy on Jul 6, 2021 22:28:46 GMT -5
Maybe if you have a few million years.
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Post by stephan on Jul 6, 2021 23:03:04 GMT -5
Possibly…. |
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
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Post by Brian on Jul 7, 2021 7:55:23 GMT -5
brian There is a lot of info out there. Flame fusion sapphire is pretty common. The star boules are harder to find. I like star anything. This is a natural star sapphire. It weighs around 3.5 pounds. It’s a fascinating process, Brent! Many years ago, I worked with researchers who were growing large silicon boules. Due to the inclusions, I was curious how the process for making star sapphires differed from regular sapphire. www.star-sapphires.com/?lang=en&content=djeva-experiment provides a great description of the process for anyone interested. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 7, 2021 8:14:37 GMT -5
That's a phenomenal star and the color is gorgeous!
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Post by miket on Jul 7, 2021 9:10:49 GMT -5
Very cool, Brent! Thanks for the show! |
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Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
