Stones I have cut

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Star could not be seen in the amethist even if a lighter colour because the refractive index for both will be different within the stone.... not that I would know Lefty.... they all still look great mate..... but.... if you study your RI's and make mathematical adjustments on your grind plans I'm sure you of all people (as well as a few others) would be able to achieve the impossible and create a new vision of possibilities beyond popular consensus within the full spectrum of gemstones ya currently playing with.... ie:- gemstones + RI knowledge angular mathematical equations = new pretty stones. Now if you keep your maths to yourself and were able to patent your designs would they then be worth money somehow in the right hands ? :Y:
 
The Fallen Star design is actually intended for Quartz (refractive index 1.540) but works for materials pretty much right along the r.i spectrum, from feldspar up to CZ (I haven't actually tried either of those).

What I meant was that it is a very bright design and when it is cut in light coloured Quartz, the reflection is so bright that it actually tends to override the colour with the sheer amount of white brilliance and the stone has to be veiwed in relatively low light before you see much colour. Hence my desire to try it in deeper coloured amethyst.

I actually have a good feeling about how it would likely perform with the really deep purple - you guys will be among the first to see it when I do :)
 
Cheers SC! :Y: :)

Yep, I was really happy with how it worked in topaz. I'm wondering how it would look in sapphire or zircon.

Been faceting so much lately I'm seeing gems in my sleep :D But it's a very satisfying undertaking.
 
Cheers Gilly :Y:

Yes, it's a very nice shade of blue. I'm not sure how close to that shade you're likely to find while fossicking (London blue topaz are natural topaz stones but they have undergone colour-enhancing treatment) but I've seen photos of very attractive light sky blue stones from far north QLD.
 
There is some really rich stuff that comes out of Mt. Surprise but they are getting fewer and far between. Most of the blues (if your lucky enough to find one) range from very light to sky blue. Used to be blues by the bucket load but now all the easy stuff is gone. Unless you know a few tricks ;) ;)
 
Shame I've never made it to O'Briens creek for a good digging session (I have been there once but it was only a quick look and I never had the chance to dig). Mount Gibson is closer to the in-laws place so that's where I've always gone. Most of what I've found there has been colourless, a few very pale ice blues (a couple were quite nice) but a bloke I met there who told me he digs there regularly showed me some large, light brown crystals he said came from the "Patricia" section. The colour was something like that of smoky quartz but the shape of the topaz crystal was unmistakable.

I found a reasonable number of small, very pale gold crystals there - I'd like to think that deeper gold ones exist in the area somewhere :)
 
Morning Gents

My sister has possession of the Lowmead Amethyst from you Lefty, Many thanks for that.

Robyn and myself are in Cowra nsw on our way to Hill End for 4 days, to meet up with a few members from this forum.

Mostly gold hunters, but i will survive, I am sure there will be plenty to chat about around a fire or 2. I have been off the wagon for a while now as the grog conflicts with one of my meds, so I will just tag along.

We have Anakie firmly fixed in our sights ATM and will be heading there After a stop in Sydney, probably get there around mid July.

A friend of ours in Townsville tells me that he knows of a cupla spot near Forsayth in FNQ, hope to get there as well.

Just discussing our summer stopover yesterday, looks like its going to be Paddys River in the Snowy Mountains again

ray
 
Cheers Gilly. It was a pleasure to facet it, it's always exciting when a stone comes off the final dop and you give it a good wipe with metho and see it sparkle for the first time :)

Sounds like you're having a good time on the road. Forsayth is only about 50km from the famed Agate creek I think, another place on my bucket list.
 
Agate Creek is close to Forsayth.
The motel in Forsayth has the most brilliant display of cut agates. Backlit, they are simply stunning and show the different colours available at Agate Creek.
There is usually a couple in the camp with a ridiculously good set up, including rock saws, that will assist you in going to the right place.
I'd suggest a speccing trip to Vievers Flats first and then do some digging at Black Soil. It is worth the trip and spend as much time as you can here. Hot showers and good toilets facilities are available.
 
Marco Voltilini's "Fiorino 80" in Lowmead Rose-de-France amethyst. 4.35 carat.

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Other designs I have cut that have pictures in them have tended to have the entire pavilion below critical, resulting in a design that often very interesting but lacks the sparkle we expect from a faceted gem. In this design, only the facets that make up the flower petals (frosted), flower centre and the facets immediately surrounding the flower motif are below the critical angle. The rest of the pavilion is above critical which creates a halo of sparkle around the picture.
 
Cheers Mackka :) :Y:

I've looked at it in natural light for the first time this morning (it came off the dop last night) and I think it definately looks better in indirect natural light - the pink colour is deeper and more pronounced. It was photographed under LED light last night.
 
Cheers deadpan :Y:

I'm happy that a stone with a frosted picture in the bottom can be cut to show plenty of sparkle at the same time. That's the way to go with picture-stones for the most part I think.
 
2.7 carat yellow-blue Rubyvale parti sapphire, cut in John Bailey's "Amethyst Shield". Ignoring for the moment my issues with clear photography, the way that different refractive indexes alters how light and reflection appears within a stone becomes obvious when comparing it with a piece of amethyst (for which the design was originally intended) cut in the same design on page 1 of this thread. While it still looks great in quartz as intended, the higher RI of sapphire creates the impression of a fireworks display. Works beautifully for lighter coloured sapphire, probably not so good for darker coloured sapphire as the design is quite deep.

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I have to say that my old digital camera (now useless since I lost the battery charger and you cannot buy a replacement) despite being techincally inferior to wife's phone camera took vastly superior photos. Might have to do a course or something.
 
Love your work Lefty. Really nice seeing your Lowmead amethyst as I've been collecting some bits and pieces out there myself, great to see what it can be turned into! Some of the rose-de-France I've found out there is super light in colour like the pic below, does the really light stuff still cut nicely if you find decent ones without cracks etc? Is that similar colour to your fiorino design specimen?
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Cheers Mackka. I might try ebay like you say. Also SC's approach of just taking a heap of photos until a couple turn out good. They look sharp and clear on the device, problem often seems to be when they are uploaded.

Cheers J Treasure. Yep, pale Rose-de-France amethyst can definately still cut a very nice looking stone if it's reasonably clean. The "Fiorino" stone was cut from a piece not much deeper in colour than the one you have there. It's a shallow design but there are deep designs that can add slightly more depth of colour to pale-toned material.
 

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