gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 16, 2020 0:10:19 GMT -5
A very classy result. I like the texturing, which I think adds a desirable complexity to the piece. Nice work.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 11, 2020 0:29:15 GMT -5
It just doesn't quite look like Peruvian blue opal to me. It lacks the translucence and the fracture seems a little off to me. Opal fractures are generally much shinier and not so blocky. I think Robin is on the right track: density. If you have a known piece of common opal, simple heft should give you a general comparison.
If it's heavier/denser than opal that still doesn't ID it for sure. I'd guess it's definitely a copper family mineral but they are manifold. It doesn't have the luster I associate with gem silica but you can't tell too much from an image. Whatever it is it should be great cutting material. My guess that this point would be chrysocolla.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 7, 2020 15:33:12 GMT -5
I've used it successfully for years. I use oil in my saw, don't know how water would work.
1. As mentioned above, let it cure at least 24 hours. I prefer 2 or 3 days' curing time, especially on large surfaces that might take longer to dry.
2. Do your sawing within a few days' time of cementing. I've noticed that after a month or so the sodium silicate begins to desiccate and crumble, weakening the joint.
3. To remove the end cut just toss the board into a bucket of water and let it soak a day or two. It should release very easily.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 3, 2020 14:20:21 GMT -5
Pat , I'm pretty sure #6 is Willow Creek. I have some brecciated slabs that are almost identical in pattern and color. Nice haul! Love those quartz xls.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 1, 2020 18:00:33 GMT -5
Wish I could find some MH with Kaiser coverage. Nearly all of mine are fractured and uninsured.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 1, 2020 15:37:37 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern California. I LOVE your screen name. Wish I'd thought of it. I've been rollin' those rocks up and down the hill for many years. Hope you find the answers you're looking for here.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 28, 2020 23:47:47 GMT -5
Good stuff 1dave. Wish I'd known all that when I collected at Glass Buttes years ago.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 25, 2020 10:51:43 GMT -5
Good report. Hogg Mine rose quartz cuts exceptional star cabs if oriented properly. I have a few primo clean pieces from a friend I need to cut one of these days.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 22, 2020 23:13:48 GMT -5
We were taught: Tall Girls Can Flirt And Other Queer Things Can Do (But that was back when Queer = Odd) We were also taught that our job was to determine the difference between a common ore and a virgin metal:) Did they teach you to stay away from ore houses?
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 20, 2020 18:06:14 GMT -5
DominicK , I messed up and posted the wrong link, but this is Michael Sage's listing and I'm sure he could help you if you PM's him. The proper link where you may find some worthwhile stuff is:
It's the Lapidary Equipment Buy, Sell, Trade group.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 20, 2020 17:58:09 GMT -5
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 15, 2020 21:42:56 GMT -5
McDevitt's also a jerk. I ordered an expensive parcel from him but after a few days he emailed that he'd decided not to sell it. OK. But he did it in such a snarky, arrogant way he's gone permanently onto my "do not buy from" list.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 14, 2020 22:04:25 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern California. I'm curious about the tourmaline you mention. Color? Can you post images? I've never heard of tourm from S.D.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 14, 2020 19:23:48 GMT -5
There's a few places around the Lake George area here in Colorado that you can find Topaz in. I have found a clear and colorless piece in an old tailing pile. There's one place I know of where you can setup a time to meet with the guy and you can help him work the site. Supposedly you can find pink, blue, and clear topaz there. Caveat though is that you give him all the topaz, he'll sell it to you at wholesale prices, and you're also supposed to buy a bag of gravel to sift through. I guess if you're a city slicker looking for the experience or have kiddos to entertain, it could be alright. Personally, the business model doesn't sit well in my gut, but anyways... That region has produced some spectacular gems. From what I can gather it's also color-stable. Topaz mining there was featured a couple of years ago on a TV show, can't recall the name at the moment. It also produces fine terminated smoky quartz and spectacular amazonite specimens.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 14, 2020 17:57:37 GMT -5
Topaz mining in Utah. I think it’s very expensive and you can’t mine at the source, just in a rubble pile from the blast. topazmountainadventures.comI have a few tiny pieces of Utah topaz. Mine is colorless though. It probably faded if it was exposed to sunlight. That's common for Utah topaz and some from other locations, especially Russia and Asia. Even the famed (and expensive!) Imperial topaz from Brazil can fade over time if exposed to the sun.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 14, 2020 16:55:34 GMT -5
Actually, "boule" is French for "ball." The first flame-fusion rubies made in the 1890s by a Frenchman named Verneuil took a shape similar to a ball in their raw state, before cutting. Even though most lab-made synthetic boules made today, whether corundum, spinel or other stones often look more like cylinders with a rounded end, they're still called boules.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 14, 2020 11:54:57 GMT -5
Just a note. Yellow to golden citrine (quartz) is often promoted as "citrine topaz." That's a misnomer and in my opinion unethical. I think it's a name some retailers devised to satisfy birthstone sales with a less expensive stone than genuine topaz.
Blue topaz is white (colorless) topaz that's been irradiated then heated to stabilize color. It comes in three basic tones of blue: Sky Blue, Swiss Blue and London Blue. The darker the tone the greater amount of radiation. Dark London Blue spends time in a nuclear reactor and then must be "cooled off" for a set period of time before it can enter the jewelry trade. Rules for treatment are set by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ETA: Natural Blue topaz is very rare but does exist. It's found in some areas of Texas and there's another source in Zimbabwe. I've also heard of some found in Brazil but I don't know where.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 13, 2020 1:24:21 GMT -5
The spring adapter for the #30 is something I'd like to find. Never seen one before.
I bought the Foredom version of the Faro w/o the spring. Now I wish I'd gotten the Faro. Bad decision based on $$ Wish I'd saved up.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 12, 2020 20:19:32 GMT -5
Foredom still sells similar models with the following warning: "Duplex springs are subject to breakage and are NOT covered by warranty." Folks, that's an understatement! Be warned. I don't have that specific handpiece model or its replacement, but I have duplex springs on my handpieces and wouldn't be without.
I also have a good bunch of Foredom replacement springs, so if you or anyone else ever needs one, just holler.
Maybe it was the design of that particular handpiece that caused me so many headaches. It's discontinued, so that might be the reason. I'm glad you've found a duplex spring design that works -- can you post the model # since I'd like to have a spring-equipped tool that works as it should.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 11, 2020 21:23:47 GMT -5
The one tool I really regret buying was a Foredom quick-change handpiece that uses a flexible Duplex spring. I don't think that specific model is sold any longer (thankfully!) I spent most of my time sending it back to the factory and replacing springs. It's the kind that has a chuck collet that slides back and forth to allow quick changes of bits. Foredom still sells similar models with the following warning: "Duplex springs are subject to breakage and are NOT covered by warranty." Folks, that's an understatement! Be warned.
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