Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[gemfeller]

I've been busy with other stuff lately and haven't had much time for cab work.  I thought I'd post a few new ones that I finished up this week.

Crown of Silver Psilomelane is one of my favorite cutting materials and I recently added quite a few new slabs to my hoard.  The cabs below are the first I've cut from the new material.  Those in the second image are a little different than others I've cut in the past.  One in particular shows the psilomelane contrasted against a matrix of what I've been told is reddish-brown manganese oxide.  I think it's kind of a neat look.

The other cabs in order are Sugilite, Cherry Creek Whatever-it-is and Marra Mamba Tiger's-Eye.  Thanks for taking a look.


005 (375x281).jpg (84.79 kB . 375x281 - viewed 324 times)

006 (375x297).jpg (82.96 kB . 375x297 - viewed 313 times)

008 (375x296).jpg (81.69 kB . 375x296 - viewed 295 times)

009 (375x321).jpg (101.92 kB . 375x321 - viewed 316 times)

011 (375x279).jpg (85.04 kB . 375x279 - viewed 330 times)

[Slabbercabber]

You have to love Crown of Silver.

[vitzitziltecpatl]

I like "the purple one". Have a soft spot in my heart - or head - for that stuff.

[hummingbirdstones]

Ooooh!  Can't pick a favorite.  I love them all!   

[Pusscat]

The Cherry Creek and the Tigers Eye have some beautiful colours in them. Lovely finish too...

[irockhound]

Nice stone Rick.  Didn't know you had a love of Crown of Silver, it is easy to have a love/hate relationship with the beautiful messy material.  The Sugelite cab is a nice shape and even color.  Grats as always, I want to get into the garage and cut some of the new material I collected but it's so bloody hot out there right now.  I think out of all the stones the top right CoS is my fave.

[gemfeller]

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

I'm a sugilite fan.  I was in Tucson the year it was introduced back in the early 80s as I recall.  I remember the dealer standing on a boulder of gem-grade material that probably weighed close to a ton.  I'm now cutting out the small amount of good material I was able to afford back then.  These days prime material is very scarce -- and expensive.

Yes, Crown of Silver psilomelane is messy to cut but it's worth it IMO.  It's not nearly as messy as boulder opal or Nipomo marcasite in agate though.  None of them are too messy for me when there's a chance of finding a prize at the end.

[MurphyStone]

Could you share your final polishing methods for the sugilite and cherry creek.  I continue to try an improve my polish on those two materials. 

Thanks

[gemfeller]

Could you share your final polishing methods for the sugilite and cherry creek.  I continue to try an improve my polish on those two materials. 

Thanks

With Cherry Creek I simply sand/polish through 8K Nova, then kiss it with Zam on a muslin buff.  It takes a little better than an egg-shell polish that way.

Sugilite's tough to polish.  My method uses Holy Cow! polish on a buff I got from Hi Tech.  I think they called it a Final Polishing Pad but it was different than the ones of the same name now being offered.  It's a tough synthetic material that was said to be impregnated with diamond, or so I remember. 

Unfortunately, Holy Cow! polish is no longer available.  I'm hoarding the small amount I still have because I have quite a bit of sugilite that needs finishing.  Hopefully someone will start making it again.

[MurphyStone]

Could you share your final polishing methods for the sugilite and cherry creek.  I continue to try an improve my polish on those two materials. 

Thanks

With Cherry Creek I simply sand/polish through 8K Nova, then kiss it with Zam on a muslin buff.  It takes a little better than an egg-shell polish that way.

Sugilite's tough to polish.  My method uses Holy Cow! polish on a buff I got from Hi Tech.  I think they called it a Final Polishing Pad but it was different than the ones of the same name now being offered.  It's a tough synthetic material that was said to be impregnated with diamond, or so I remember. 

Unfortunately, Holy Cow! polish is no longer available.  I'm hoarding the small amount I still have because I have quite a bit of sugilite that needs finishing.  Hopefully someone will start making it again.

Thanks for sharing.