5 carat Lowmead amethyst

[Lefty]

I've had my share of burns from the cabbing machine - I reckon the little 4-inch trim saw blade might be thin enough to cut you though!

 

[LONEWOLF]

I think they would..... but i'm not trying 8.( .... Have you had any experience with Cutting Fluorite Lefty ?

LoneWolf...

 

[Lefty]

I cabbed a little bit of the stuff but I've never faceted any. Amazing range of colours though the stone is a little on the soft side. I think it would be ok for pendants or earrings, probably wouldn't use it for finger rings where it would get knocked a lot.

 

[LONEWOLF]

Ok... I have some Fluorite and Smokey Quartz, from Emmaville that I was thinking about getting cut, just for display..... As in, a Display Box of various cut stones ... they would cut quite large.. about 1.5". Well at least I think they will end up quite large ..... When We come up to Lowmead for a dig soon, I will bring some up and you can give me some ideas on what I should do with them How did you go with your Ute?

LoneWolf....

 

[Lefty]

I have some Fluorite and Smokey Quartz, from Emmaville that I was thinking about getting cut, just for display..... As in, a Display Box of various cut stones smile

It would make a great stone for a display mounting I would think.

How did you go with your Ute?

$3300 later 8.( 8.( 8.( 8.( 8.( it's back in commission and going strong. Clutch engages so much quicker now that I actually stalled it when I first got it back :lol:

 

[LONEWOLF]

Ouch..... I felt that from here... :/ Yes I know what you mean... I call them 'Bunny Hops" :lol:

As for the Fluorite, I will dig some out and try to take a pic or two.... 8)

LoneWolf....

 

[Gemhunter]

Great stone lefty turned out awsome :Y:

 

[Lefty]

Cheers mate. I think Rockhound had it set in a pendant for his mum.

 

[Gilly47]

WoW!!!! that cut stone is SO GOOD

ray :Y: :Y: :Y:

 

[Lefty]

Cheers Ray. It's probably one of the nicest stones from there that I have faceted, though a Lowmead smoky I cut for another forum member turned out really nice as well. It was actually not straight smoky, it had a slight citrine tint to it which looked really good. I have some Lowmead smoky crystals that would probably facet 10,20 or 30 carat stones but they are nicely formed crystal specimens so I don;t want to cut them up.

 

[Gemhunter]

Sounds like you know what your doing I'd love to learn faceting but it's not so easy for an unemployed 17 year old to get a faceting machine haha

 

[silver]

Sounds like you know what your doing I'd love to learn faceting but it's not so easy for an unemployed 17 year old to get a faceting machine haha

Skin a Cat # 6158427
But you can join a Gem Club and learn to facet on the machines there for a fraction of the price. :Y:

 

[Gemhunter]

Wow really sounds great is there one in Central Queensland like Gladstone maybe

 

[silver]

Here we go

link to site
http://www.lapidaryworld.com/gladstone_district_gem_rock_and_mineral_club

 

[Gemhunter]

Awsome thanks for that mate

 

[Lefty]

Vic and John are/were the faceting teachers at the Gladstone club. Vic gave me the six or eight faceting lessons that started me off doing what has become a serious hobby.

Joan and Di can teach you to cabochon and make jewellery.

It's well worth it if you're really keen to learn Gemhunter. The club has a well set up workshop, heaps of cabbing wheels, rock saws and flat laps for polishing slabs/halved rocks, a number of faceting machines and jewellery making area with all the tools.

Remember to turn up wearing closed in shoes - no thongs or you won't be allowed to use the machines

 

[Gemhunter]

Sounds great I'm definitely keen to learn I would love to have a nice little cut gem that I done myself I haven't heard much about cabochon and would you get the eye lenses to look at the gems and the sticks to hold them there?

 

[Lefty]

Cabochon cutting is probably how most people begin lapidary. I wouldn't say it's any less skilled but the equipment and approach are less complex. You attach a piece of stone (usually bigger than you typical faceting stone) to a simple dop stick such as a piece of wooden dowel, usually using wax (some people just hold it in their fingers but I usually use a dop stick). The stone is shaped entirely by hand and eye against a water-cooled grinding wheel, then you smooth it through a number of progressively finer grits on wheels or discs and finally polish it, typically on a buff made from felt or some similar material, usually with one of the oxide polishes such as tin oxide or cerium oxide. Other oxides or diamond polish are sometimes used as well but tin and cerium are the most common.

Cabochons are usually cut from gem materials that are opaque or translucent and cannot be faceted to full effect. Agate and chalcedonies such as carnelian and chrysophrase make beautiful cabochons but a wide variety of materials are suitable - petrified wood is often what you will be given as a beginner.

Here's a tiger eye cabochon I cut from a very nice piece of material I was given.

would you get the eye lenses to look at the gems and the sticks to hold them there?

The eye lenses are called "loupes" (pronounced: loops) and there are both hand held types and types that you wear on your head like a big pair of glasses. Yes, they will have both loupes and the gem grabber sticks at the club.

 

[Gemhunter]

Thanks heaps for info I can't wait to go and join sounds like cabochon is the way to go for starting out I have some chalcedonie and carnelian agate down in tassie that I found in the bay that I fish at down there I can't wait to start learning lapidary and the tigers eye looks great

 

[Gilly47]

To gemhunter,

Robyn and I joined the local club in Campbelltown nsw and they are a GREAT bunch of people, willing to help and teach us the correct way,

ray