Shain Mayer

Madagascar druzy agate, a Royal Sahara, or a super blue pietersite?

Labels: Agate, cab, cutting, druzy, Lapidary, pietersite, royal Sahara

This is my responds to a thread on my favorite forum about offering a quality cutting index for lapidary materials, good idea. hope we can all follow through.

i always think an index of cutting/lapidary materials for the general consumer is a great idea, one thing one must factor in no matter the person selling the material or at what price is, all materials will have a grade factor to consider, and many sellers out there dont fully understand that factor when reselling rough. SO it comes as a two fold issue, based one on sellers and ethics of selling. Which usually will lead to what this thread has the potential is getting someone bent on bag talking about their material.
And two, the grade factor as all roughs will come with good and bad examples that are readily sold at fiar and unfair market values, both ways. (i dare mention the third factor of poor Identification of similar materials which i myself have made the mistake on)

I think a database is good, and i am all for contributing my input and photos into. But as bobby1 said about picking materials in sight and were one can see both wet and dry will always be the ultimate factor that dictates what good rough can be, even from bad stock. Which is a given factor for those in the know and have access to do such more readily and at true fair market prices than whats given from local and region standards.

So on a postive note about material that general has a good standing and is readily available at a fair market value , first up for my vote is Royal Sahara Jasper.
google image serach link

http://royalsaharajasper.3dcartstores.com/


This jasper though can vary in grade, from within the same piece. The yield and hardness is well worth the price. It takes a wonderful polish, has many abstract and classic picture scene potential. And each piece is quite unique. EVen if from slab to slab. I still have a few older cabs from rough i bought a few years ago and they are so nice. I plan to purchase more soon, hopefully with my tax return. I highly recemend the material at all levels of experience with lapidary. It can be tricky and sometimes you get a dud with more than 75% open core patterns. But its highly usauble in many lapidary forms. I bet it would do great as a carving.

Labels: buying, forum, index, Lapidary, rough, selling

AZ goldmart/Stickandstones Rockshop

New Rocks shop opened in Apache Jct a few months ago. NE corner of Ironwood and Apache Trail. Not right on the corner, but east of Ironwood, just past Elvira's Mexican food (Best in the whole area if you like mexican food). They have all your rockshop delights, and machines too! Rough, some loose gems, and all kinds of neat rockshop related stuff. Stop by if you're ever in Apache Jct.

Labels: Apache Junction, Arizona, Lapidary, rockshop

I got 5 slabs off the large piece of rough I made booked out if for my mother. It's quality hornitas with a large white jasper area, gonna make some fine freedoms.

Labels: Lapidary, Poppy jasper, rough, slab

Rough grinding is now underway in my shop. Got the space now to mount my sanding unit when it comes back from getting fixed. First preforming is done, was such a fast cut. Yeah, u am very happy to be back on 8inch diamond wheels.

Labels: Lapidary, preforming

While digging in my overtook a couple weeks ago. I ran across this piece of rough. I wasn't sure it was what it is until I cut a small face to window it. WOW what a nice example.

Labels: Agate, Lapidary, rough, sagenite

Personal piece from Mexico. I real lovely color and interesting inclusions.

Labels: Agate, Lapidary, tube

Today I got my rough stage grinder back in the shop and I am so very thankful its running again. This is just for rough grinding, preforming, and shaping. Wheels are 80grit and 200 grit. It's am old raytech heavy duty 2speed with an auto preformer, and adjustable speed plank. Just got make room for it on my big bench. Yay!

Labels: cutting rocks, grinder, Lapidary

 

Labels: Agate, Condor, Lapidary

ANd here is what i came across.....Horse Canyon super blue moss nodule! A piece of Gabbs Yellow/Black Opal Wood, A piece of Pyrite rock, a small little Morrisonite orb nugget, Rhichardsons Ranch Thunderegg, and a nice piece of Antelope hiding under some bunk. 

 
 
 
 
 

Labels: Lapidary, overstocks, rough

While Digging through some old boxes of gemstones, i ran across these i havent seen in some time. Leatherstone made by Tim Sherman of Billings Montana. These are very durible, 100% handmade leather pendants with stones i cut specficly for this project. Normal cabochons did not work for his setting and would come out over a short period of time. I have roughly 20 of these left, each with their own unqiue stone. If interested please contact me for further details on how you can get one of these before they are all gone.
 

Labels: Deschutes, jasper, jewelry, Lapidary, leatherstone, pendant

It has a few small white plumes under the eye or core spot. Some nasty fractures though.

Labels: jasper, Lapidary, rough

Argentina deep translucent blue color. Some inclusion layers, but very jelly like.

Labels: blue, Lapidary, onyx, rough

Bearings on they're way. Then reset motor and wheels. Will have my rough grinding good to go. Last step is do the same to my other grinder so I can have a sanding setup.

Labels: grinder, Lapidary, workshop

Labels: Cabochon, druzy, Lapidary, philsomlane, video

I cut this set recently for my mother and it came out real nice. I know, such a fine poppy jasper made into a bookend set? It was very fitting and what the material called for i thought. I managed to keep one small piece for some cabs. dont worry. 
 

Labels: bookends, Lapidary, Poppy jasper

....and chaos is among us. No matter were i look, or what i do, there is that early feeling of the season in which i hounstly dont like as much as summer. Just tonight on my way home from the bakery, i say a car up a head, the driver managed to make a thrid uturn by the time i passed him. WTF? drunkin snowbird season, yes its true, though im sure they are still mostly male like this uturn driver. And as hard as i try, i keep having problems with one guy at the bakery in which Chaos follows, and problely will till the end of the earth. Poor kid trys so hard, and things still bite him in the ass no matter what. He had two court dates this week, and both simply went into continuance because of prosecutor no shows. Or he just bullshitting me and im the dumbass.
The bakery has really picked up and we got some good press a couple weeks ago. The new shift at the bakery is working really well too, i have a better control on everyones hours, the batch order or mix order, and sweets. We have also been able to develop a better procedure for our Ciabatta which has been coming out top notch.
I have fallen behind this past month on the blog, but I am just trying to transition into the season, my new shift and management responsibilities as best as i can.
I am also working on remixing we are Searchers recordings and posting them to my reverb page. So keep a look out for anything music related i post.
Lastly, on anything rock related, please let me know if you want to come out and dig for rocks in my overstocks. Normally $25, Winterbird speical-$15 per 5 gallon bucket, you dig and haul your own. But you must mention the website in order to get the discount.

Labels: chaos, holiday season, Lapidary, Rockhounding, snowbirds, winter

Came from some Stalactite like pieces i got from Jerry Steel of Rock-n-Utah. Was able to sand one piece partially before my grinder stopped working. Oh well, nice piece for sure.

Labels: Gratefuldead, Lapidary, Utah

This stuff is one of my new personal favorites to come into the market in the last 10years or less. It is a extremely hard nodule jasper that displays some of the best abstract and 'lahar' defined patterns out of any jasper ive seen to date. The material can be purchased online from the miners directly, or through other resellers like myself. These pieces pictured are not for sale, but please take a moment to enjoy them designs in brown.
 

Labels: Africa, Lapidary, Royal Sahara Jasper