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[Ajo]

Hey All! I have been busy the last few days cutting some stabilized old stock Kingman turquoise. Also, some variscite that I got from Tony (Catmandew) at Quartzsite. I love this stuff. I brought it up to 3000 diamond on an expando wheel. I then finished all of them with ZAM on a very soft cotton wheel. The ZAM took any of the left over fine scratches off really well. The shine came up great on all of the turquoise. The "red" matrix cab gave me a hard time, the matrix came out a semi-gloss finish. All the turquoise came from Colbaugh out of Kingman, AZ. They carry a whole range of rough. As you can see Kingman has a variety of looks. Hope you like. Eric. Sorry about the size of the pics for some reason photobucket is not cooperating.
Pyrite Flecks in This cab:

Golden Matrix:


Red Matrix Cab:

Nice Blue:

Tony's Variscite:

[Bentiron]

Those are all nice looking even better than some totally natural stone I worked with in the past. A few weeks ago we were in Colorado and we stopped at a shop in Greed, Co and they had some of the purple with silver compressed treated turquoise and the shop owner was spinning a tale to my wife that it was a natural product of the Last Chance Silver Mine in the nearby mountains, I really had to choke back some really nasty comments about being truthful in sales pitches especially when there was a block of the stuff sitting next to the trim saw in the shop along with several preforms on dop sticks. Talk about fabrication of lies
Your cabs look great

[Ajo]

Those are all nice looking even better than some totally natural stone I worked with in the past. A few weeks ago we were in Colorado and we stopped at a shop in Greed, Co and they had some of the purple with silver compressed treated turquoise and the shop owner was spinning a tale to my wife that it was a natural product of the Last Chance Silver Mine in the nearby mountains, I really had to choke back some really nasty comments about being truthful in sales pitches especially when there was a block of the stuff sitting next to the trim saw in the shop along with several preforms on dop sticks. Talk about fabrication of lies
Your cabs look great

Thanks, they were a lot of fun to cab. I really would have had to bite my tongue too. I am a firm believer in disclosure. I cant believe that shop owner tried to put one over on you guys. Obviously he did not know who he was dealing with. Eric.

[Enchantra]

Wow!  Nice tones of blue and green there and some good matrix patterns.  Nice score on the turquoise rough you got!   
My favorite is the stuff with the pyrite in it!   

[PhilNM]

Those are all nice looking even better than some totally natural stone I worked with in the past. A few weeks ago we were in Colorado and we stopped at a shop in Greed, Co and they had some of the purple with silver compressed treated turquoise and the shop owner was spinning a tale to my wife that it was a natural product of the Last Chance Silver Mine in the nearby mountains, I really had to choke back some really nasty comments about being truthful in sales pitches especially when there was a block of the stuff sitting next to the trim saw in the shop along with several preforms on dop sticks. Talk about fabrication of lies
Your cabs look great

I bought a couple pounds of that purple gold stuff from the guy who made it for colbaughs before he passed over to the rock fields in the sky. I think I paid about $120 per pound, but it makes great cabs. Need a few slices?

[tntmom]

Gorgeous!!!!  I don't work with turquoise that often, only a couple times a year.  How do you tell if it is stabilized when buying from an unknown vendor?  The only turquoise I have worked has come from Michael.

[PhilNM]

Gorgeous!!!!  I don't work with turquoise that often, only a couple times a year.  How do you tell if it is stabilized when buying from an unknown vendor?  The only turquoise I have worked has come from Michael.

Natural is hydroscopic. It craves moisture, so it sticks to your tongue. Stabilized doesn't. Also natural smells like rock when ground and polished, stabilized smells like plastic or maybe has a sweet smell depending on the process used to stabilize it.

[iceopals]

Well, I would question the hydroscopic statement if that is blanket.   Yep, I agree for chalk and lower quality material, but I have cut so much high grade that was not at all interested in any surrounding water. 

[accented1]

Wow those are spectacular! I'm sure the smiths would kill for those.. Quite amazing material!

[MrsWTownsend]

Wowsers those are gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!