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Post by kk on Jul 10, 2016 9:52:23 GMT -5
You did pretty good in the market. Cool dragon head and black nephrite. Black is only a 24th of an inch deep, hope to find pure white under that.
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Post by kk on Jul 10, 2016 8:15:01 GMT -5
Yesterdays outing into the markets worked out better than expected with more stones and still some budget left. I went into the markets primarily with the wishlist of a black-skinned nephrite (Chinese jade), some yellow jade and chatoyant sodalite that I found here some years ago. Could find the shop, but they had no more of the sodalite. Did not find the guy with the yellow jade, but ended up with this loot...... 4 nephrite and two agates. This piece has a dark-brown to black rind that should contrast very well with the white stone inside. It's the piece I left behind last year as it was just above budget. I'm nearly sure that this is the exact piece, but to my surprise the opening quote this time was less than half last years price. So I was a happy camper from the start. This piece will allow me to realize a design of a tribal tattoo of a phoenix by my daughter, promised a long time ago. The lucky price above, allowed me to gamble on this one, and still be within the set budget for the piece above. Red-brown rind, over an inch thick and light passes through without much trouble, showing no internal flaws. If I'm lucky, that might also prove white inside, but need caution for now as there is no way yet to determine for me if this is Nephrite or Agate. For the moment I'm hopeful on nephrite. This one was easy to ID, as someone opened a small window, so you can see what is called mutton-fat white under the skin. On to some 3$ something. Somehow it looks like agate, but then it could be soapstone or something different altogether. Its oiled up, so its hard to make an ID. All I know is that it seems to have a darker rind than interior to play with. Next up, a one pounder + agate. I have been looking for something with a strong colour solid rind since last year. I have seen so many wonderful creations using different layers, that I simple have to give it a try. No luck all day asking for even one single piece in the rough. Then as I was ready to pack up and return to my room, I saw this. Even with my wasteful ways, I should be able to get somewhere between 3 and 5 pieces out of it using the rind. But, came with a bonus; there is already a dragon-head carved in the piece. At 15$ for the piece, I plan to cut the dragon out leaving a small rim of white surrounding him, for the drawer..... Last but not least the buy of the day, Hetian Jade I'm sure. Just a small piece at about 200gr, but as the seller told me the price of just a bit over 7$ I nearly threw the money at him getting ready to run before he might change his mind. It has the right texture and translucency to be a perfect white inside. But no window yet, so will not find out until cut. There is a reason why buying jade in Chinese is called "Taking a gamble" You only find out after you cut into if it was all worthwhile..... I'm happy regardless, if things go right, I'm looking at material for about 15 pieces over time, and that translates at a cost of just a bit over 10$ each.... So, it already seems to have payed off for me. Ohh yeah, one more thing: all pieces where bought from different dealers....... Thanks for looking, Kurt
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Post by kk on Jul 9, 2016 18:16:05 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing! Pretty fascinating to me, being part of the world I'm never planning to go to~ Thats just one market in one smaller city. Despite of all the negatives from over here, there is lots to see in regards to culture and nature throughout the land. I enjoy being the only outsider amidst a sea of locals, knowing the relative safety that does exist around here.
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Post by kk on Jul 9, 2016 9:27:31 GMT -5
Hi there, I'm in China and just back from for me now a yearly trip to Hualin in Guanzhou (still got 5 more day to work here before going home. This market never seizes to fascinate. Building one of four with about a thousand shops under one roof. Real, fake or manmade, ptetty much any bead you can imagine in here. Amber seems to be still very popular, but ask for some of that stunning beautiful blue in the rough, and you are quickly shooed away (good guess that that stuff is not real. Hallo Ebay!). Also, Laimar seems to be just about everywhere. Did they find a way to manufacture that thing now? After a quick look around for some chatoyant stuff I found here 3 years ago (and welcome air-condition to cool down), onwards to my real target of the day, the jade-markets for multicolored nephrite and agate. Thousands of small shops. You better know what you are looking for, and all the tricks of the trade, before parting with money here. Lets keep this post to the site today, and my haul to another post. One thing I learned today is that the majority of agates here are from Madagascar. That includes, what I believed in the past to be my favorites of Montana agates. Not so, it turns out, all that stuff is Madagascar. Tons of it, perfectly polished, and on the cheap. Even at two inches with huge mosses in it, they barely cost 15$ without haggling. As I was looking for two-tone jade and agates, naturally, I came across a fascinating array of carvings. The skills that are needed to work the layers that well is simply mind-boggling. To me at least. Agate in front, nephrite in back (not soapstone, I checked) Agates Jaspers I thought the big one to be soapstone, but after looking at them close up, it must be jasper as the small one has exactly the same colour/texture but with agate underneath, so its not soapstone. Lingered around specific shops for quite a while,..... Not because they had something I would buy, but because of a smell that reminded me so much of my fathers workplace as we grew up. Sandalwood shops. Using sandalwood and other strong smelling wood for beads, carvings and incense. One thing remaining: Wishlist for next visit, next year: No clue what it is, but I want the rough version of that thing. Thanks for looking, Kurt
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Post by kk on Jul 6, 2016 18:28:43 GMT -5
Kurt, that Snow Leopard is magnificent!!! The snake is pretty doggone good too and as usual you are your own worst critic. Thank you. As it should be. If we are not self-critical, improvements are not going to come......... I'm looking forward to spend the day after tomorrow at Hualin. That's the second biggest jade-market here in China. Trip report will have to wait till next weeks return to Hong Kong, as this year, internet here is horrible, and controls over website is the strongest yet, as far as I have ever seen. Its hard even to get through to RTH this time. VPN has pretty much become useless too.
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Post by kk on Jul 3, 2016 7:54:18 GMT -5
Wow, what a great invitation for others to not only compete, but also to continue working on stones.
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Post by kk on Jul 2, 2016 6:36:18 GMT -5
Thank you.
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Post by kk on Jun 30, 2016 10:16:40 GMT -5
Loving the snow leopard - even more for the two-tone with the rock ledge. Nothing wrong with the snake either. Excellent work! Yeah, the rind came in handy. Next week I'm going to the markets in China, and hope to get a stone that is black on the outside for about 2mm (12th of an inch) and pure white inside. or yellow white As long as there is a huge contrast. If I got enough money, I also want some of this yellow jade rough
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Post by kk on Jun 28, 2016 10:15:42 GMT -5
Thank you. Already asking the supplier to be on the lookout for material as such. There are lots of shapes that would fit colour and polyps.
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Post by kk on Jun 28, 2016 7:31:11 GMT -5
Not too happy with the snout/nose yet, but...... ok, I suppose.
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Post by kk on Jun 28, 2016 6:19:22 GMT -5
Snow Leopard done And had just about enough material left to do one more final snake Thanks for looking, Kurt
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Post by kk on Jun 22, 2016 20:26:19 GMT -5
Sting ray or octopus would work too......... But alas, I'm out of the albino material.....
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Post by kk on Jun 22, 2016 16:57:02 GMT -5
Thank you all. Now just need to get that head right.
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Post by kk on Jun 22, 2016 6:24:07 GMT -5
Snow Leopard it is not really, but who is counting. Too many muscle-tones through natural design as well as re-enforced through cutting. At hand, I'm really happy with the powerful body. Leaving the rind natural as a color-variation for the piece. A little bit every day, so will see if a head comes out of that. The stone is perfect for snake and this creature. Tomorrow will be the second front paw and separating it visibly from the body. The head has hardly any markers left (only nose and snout, as well as a little on the ear in the lower pics). So its basically there, but does not stand out enough. Will try to lower the level between shoulder and head a bit tomorrow. Maybe then it will stand out more. With the remains from that Albino slab, there is just one more snake in there. Tighter format and head less turned. A small present for a student who did exceptionally well in last weeks exam. And a quick looksy under the hood of the next FA-project. Thanks for looking, Kurt
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Post by kk on Jun 22, 2016 5:17:05 GMT -5
What a beauty, Gorgeous result with this layout.
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Post by kk on Jun 19, 2016 9:33:20 GMT -5
7 years?? My how time flies. It has been a pleasure to watch your work over years. Can't wait to see more as you continue to grow in your art. Thank you all for the kind words. I suppose, the biggest growth should/must come in finer craftsmanship. I find that I'm still rather sloppy in execution and in the finishing process. Once the cutting itself is done, the finishing is rather tedious, and its easy to loose interest before things are "really" completed. Thats exactly the reason why I admire so many of you folks. Your finishes are impeccable.
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Post by kk on Jun 19, 2016 5:59:21 GMT -5
Thank you to all members and admins, who have enabled me to grow in this hobby over the past 7 years. Its been exactly 7 years todate that the first stone turned up in my mailbox, and started this wonderful journey. Naturally it was a Fire Agate that started it all. FA is still one of my top favorite materials today, so its only fitting that there are 4 pieces awaiting to be finished up this coming week. And three new ones to be started, to keep me busy for the rest of the year. A crazy one, that was given to me as extra, and shows some colour all round. That thing will be a pain as too many sheets run in all sorts of directions. One that promises some hot colours under black agate. And of course the jumbo, that should be finally started this summer, coming in as is at nearly 5 pounds. Naturally, lots of materials have come and gone, yet still a lot more to try out. Close to finishing up: Brazilian Agate And new to start, Coral again Lots of fun and frustration, that would not have been possible without the help and support of sooo many fantastic people round the world brought together throug forums and NET in general. Thank you again from all my heart, Looking forward to the next 7 years........ Kurt
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Post by kk on Jun 15, 2016 20:11:59 GMT -5
Chalk up another one for Kurt. The material and artistry are a real winner. Jim Thank you all for the fantastic feedback. Its great to see the interest in things one makes. For those of you that have the right tools (foredome or something like that), snake patterns are something quite easy to do as the overall layout does not need to conform to something very precise. Try it. I have tried a few times over the years, and while far from perfect, each and every time, things get a little better. The first one in the set here anyhow; I consider it nothing more than a cab with a little extra. Just keep trying, and don't listen to others telling you what you can't do.
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Post by kk on Jun 15, 2016 20:06:20 GMT -5
They all look stunning! I find myself looking at the curves and angles figuring out how I would go about setting one in Sterling Quite easy actually. All of them facilitate cord through the tail end. The first has a flat back as the material is not that thick. With a cord it lays flat on your skin, but hangs awkward freely. The other two have holes from front to behind the tail, allowing a jump-ring to hang straight. Is working coral easy ? Those are fantabulous. Bet that stuff is hard as in Mohs hard. You will now be possessive of them. Keep them for Kurt. Cutting is hard on my equipment. Used up 5 2 inch blades and broke two cables (inside flexshaft). Once grinding started, no problem. Works just like any other agate. Yes wearing the first one since over a week, even before it got polished yesterday. The other two, and possibly one more are spoken for as gifts.
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Post by kk on Jun 15, 2016 10:59:20 GMT -5
Perfect polish. Is that Shiller effect running down the right side?
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