Lapidaryforum.net
Rock Art => Cabochons, Intarsias, Cameos => Topic started by: jha789 on March 20, 2017, 01:19:21 AM
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Hello,
I am new to this forum, and to any online forum, for that matter, so please excuse if I make any mistakes. I thought I would begin by sharing some Stefoinite cabochons that I cut this week. I had bought a lot of Stefoinite many years back and slabbed and cabbed some of it then. Then, I forgot about it for a while until recently someone contacted me and purchased a few cabs. So, I got inspired to make a few more. Here are some photos. If anyone is not familiar with this material, well, I hope the photos speak for themselves.
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Welcome!!! Never seen that b4 and I DO LIKE IT!!!
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Wonderful tones and contrast. Please, tell us more about the material and its origin.
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Welcome to the forum from Northern Arizona! :hello:
Those are beautiful cabs. Where does it come from? I tried searching for it and couldn't find anything.
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beautiful material, great work... neal
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A hearty welcome from Washington State, and another request for more information. Stunning material!
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Lucky you. I've never seen more than a slab or two of this in the mixed slab trays at shows - and that was some years ago. Don't think I've ever seen rough. Unless someone finds the source in Wyoming, it didn't sound like any more rough would be forthcoming (if there was anything left). Nice creamy color in the jasper, and you did a great job showcasing the patterns with the cabs :smiley:
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Thanks for the welcome messages. A couple of you requested more information on Stefoinite. The story, as I have heard it told, is that in the early 50's, Rudy Stefoin and a couple of rock hounding friends discovered this gorgeous jasper somewhere in Wyoming. Apparently they never disclosed the location and took the secret with them to the grave. While some have tried to figure out where it might have been, so far the secret remains intact. In the fall of 2007, I purchased some rough from a rock dealer in Rock Springs, Wyoming. He had purchased the remaining material from descendants of Rudy. I immediately fell in love with the pattern in this jasper and bought quite a bit. The pieces varied in size, pattern, and quality. A lot of Stefoinite is not so solid, with vugs, soft areas that will not polish, healed and not so healed fractures and what not. This material does seem to be getting very difficult to find. I do consider myself lucky to have snagged as much as I did.
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Wow. That material is fantastic! You are indeed lucky to have that...maybe this will inspire me to go explore the state to the north of me...
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Welcome and thanks , they are beautiful.
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WOW WOW WOW! I thought I was lucky to have 7 slices of the material and have been holding them for special things. Those are the biggest pieces of the material I have ever seen!!! Congrats on the find of a lifetime. I love the material and the patterns.
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I have a little stash of this material....just a few small slabs. I really like how this material works up and looks. Welcome to the group from Bakersfield, CA
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A very stunning and dramatic material! Love the high contrast and filled cavities. Great story behind it too.
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Welcome! That is amazing looking, I also have never heard of it.
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Gorgeous stuff!
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Beautiful work! Hard to picture those gorgeous colors and drama from the rough! Thanks for sharing!
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Stunning stone!! Absolutely love the cabs, they are beautiful! You did a fantastic job! Thank you for sharing and the information!