i agree with the last few comments about the "cheap stones." I also saw some poor Sonora Sunrise cabs for $5.00 at both Quartzite and Tuscon this year. The stones lacked the properties of good color and had inclusions or other defects. Some of these vendors were also selling dyed or heat treated material. I also noticed that there were not a lot of customers milling about these booths as well, that is compared to the higher quality vendors. These sweat shop vendors have been a recent occurrence over the last three or four years. People who come to T and Q are usually knowledgeable about stone quality and will continue to reasonably pay for unique specimens or cab material, I believe. Some hobbyists buy the poor quality for personal use or to sell at Church Bazaars and Fairs, etc. Yet after all the work and expense of metal smithing, wire wrapping, etc. why would you use an inferior center piece for your work? I have plenty of good quality rough that I have slowly collected over the years. I get great satisfaction out of the qualities of the stone, and how I can add by shaping and polishing, vs buying a whole bunch of crud mud at cheap prices. I do try to get the best possible price for the quality of the stone, of course, but I am not going to spend my time on junk. I don't even tumble this gravel.
As a side note, At Q this year, I heard some vendors grumbling about customers trying to reduce prices on good quality stone, saying if they want that price, then they should go get a pick, hammer and shovel and try to find some on their own. I agree.
