What is the Gemological Institute of America?

GIA is a private, nonprofit educational institute founded in 1931 by Robert Shipley to focus on research and education in gemology and jewelry arts to professionalize the business and raise a cadre of jewelers the public could trust. A jeweler himself in the 1920s, Shipley recognized deficiencies in his knowledge, so he undertook training in Europe via the Great Britain National Association of Goldsmiths gemological course. Back in the U.S., he made it his mission to build a community of like-minded professionals.

The institute undertakes research, publishes the quarterly journal Gems & Gemology, and provides important resources for the industry, including a laboratory, library and newly developed instruments for identifying and grading gemstones. For instance, it was GIA that crafted the indispensable 10x eye loupe and devised the famous “Four C’s” approach to evaluating and grading diamonds based on cut, clarity, color and carat weight. Research conducted within institute labs develops ever-better methods for identifying, evaluating and grading gemstones and detecting synthetics and treated stones.

Equally important, GIA offers courses, programs and accreditation.

Apply and Attend GIA Worldwide

The primary GIA campus and headquarters are in Carlsbad, California. It has a worldwide presence with some 3,000 employees and campuses, labs and/or research centers in 13 countries. It also has the GIA Global Leadership Program with the Harvard Business School.

To apply and enroll in programs or courses, you need at least a high school diploma or GED and must be at least 18 years old for on-campus attendance. However, exceptions can be made for applicants as young as 16 with a high school degree and a parental letter of approval.

GIA Certification Courses and Programs

GIA offers individual courses and diploma programs. Students get hands-on experience identifying and grading gemstones, using cutting-edge instruments, identifying synthetic or treated stones and understanding the jewelry and gemstone market. General areas covered include gemology, jewelry and jewelry design. Full programs include the following and more:

• Graduate Gemologist Program®
• Graduate Diamonds Program
• Graduate Colored Stones Program
• Graduate Jeweler Program
• Jewelry Design & Technology Program
• Comprehensive CAD/CAM for Jewelry Program

Programs vary in length. For instance, the Graduate Gemologist Program® is the most comprehensive. It combines the Graduate Diamonds and the Colored Stones Programs, involves taking five courses and three labs and takes 26 weeks to complete. On the other hand, the Comprehensive CAD/CAM for Jewelry Program takes just seven weeks to complete.

A Certification Journey

Louisa May Carey, a Graduate Gemologist®, started her journey with an Applied Jewelry Professional diploma that consists of three classes, then the Graduate Pearls diploma. She says she then “went full-bore” with the endgame of reaching Graduate Gemologist®. It consists of two prerequisites of Diamond Essentials and Colored Stones Essentials then moves on to Diamond and Diamond Grading and Colored Stones Grading, including an in-person lab class for each, and lastly Gem Identification. Each eLearning class is made up of chapters with a corresponding quiz and a final exam. The remaining Gem ID course is in the traditional chapter-andquiz format with the second half adding in 500 gems sent in batches of 20 each. You complete the stone identification course and then submit it to your instructor for review. Both homework and the 20 stone final (which you can take on campus or have proctored) require a passing grade of nothing less than 100 percent.

GIA certification courses and programs are accredited by both the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). Beyond facts and skills, an equal focus is on instilling excellence, professionalism and high ethical standards.

Study on Campus or at Home

Most GIA certification courses can be attended either on-campus or via eLearning, but—because of their inherent hands-on nature—all lab courses must be taken on campus. Students can attend on-campus courses at the headquarters in Carlsbad or in New York. As an example, in the U.S. you can earn the Graduate Gemologist® diploma by studying full-time on campus in either Carlsbad or New York, or you can earn the same diploma by taking the five required courses online (in a media-rich environment with flexible completion times and online exams) and the three lab courses on campus.

Even when studying online, students receive individualized attention. Louisa noted that one course in particular—Gem Identification—offered the most one-on-one instruction, but GIA instructors in all courses encouraged questions from students attending in-person or online. She especially liked the virtual Student Workroom. “If you are looking for more help or want to brush up on anything, the Student Workroom allows you to reserve a ‘seat’ for a half or full day with an instructor.”

Still, despite the flexibility of the online environment, Louisa found the in-person lab classes to be the best. “In general, eLearning is more solitary and you have to be very self-motivated. For me, not having the comradery of classmates and a group graduation at the end was the biggest drawback. But looking back, I will say not having the traditional classroom experience prepared me for what my current work is like.”

Louisa cautions that sticking with it once enrolled was not easy. “Having a distance education option is amazing. That being said, working full time, juggling homework and taking vacation time for the in-person lab classes, plus finding a place to stay within a budget…let’s just say you have to LOVE it!”

GIA Certification Costs & Financial Assistance

The cost of a GIA certification ranges. For instance, basic tuition ranges from a low of about $6,000 for a seven-week Jewelry Design program to a high of approximately $23,000 for the 26-week Graduate Gemologist® program.

Tables listing tuition for each program may be found in the GIA catalog and website. Those tables also provide estimates for the total “Cost of Attendance” (COA) for each program including housing, meals, transportation, books and supplies.

With its curricula approved by the U.S. Department of Education, students enrolled in on-campus programs are qualified to apply for Title IV federal financial aid. Qualifying students can also receive veteran benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. GIA itself offers scholarships to qualified students.

While some may look at the cost (especially total COA) and rethink, Louisa urges people to persevere, “Just like anything worth doing, before you do it there will never be enough time or money, but find a way. Investing in yourself will always be worth it.

Beyond the Courses

The research wing of GIA has invented many devices and instruments essential for gemstone testing and identification throughout its 90+ year history. Some of these are stocked in a campus store and available for students and professionals alike. Instruments range from simple tweezers and 10x loupes to spectroscopes, refractometers and polariscopes. A handy GIA Gem Identification Package, geared specifically to distance education students, provides devices for setting up a basic at-home gem testing and identification station. The store stocks books, classification charts and other print materials.

Benefits of a GIA Certification

How does being GIA-certified help in the long run? Wherever you go, people buy and wear jewelry and seek authorities they can trust. GIA can help a budding jeweler become that authority and obtain the professional skills to move to the next level.

To the average person on the street, mention gems and they’ll think of the person behind the counter in a jewelry or department store, but there are many more paths. GIA has helped people go on to careers as appraisers (for individuals, insurance companies, law enforcement), in retail sales and as wholesale buyers, as designers and bench jewelers, in the manufacturing world, and in auction houses, museums, and research and lab-based settings.

For Louisa, she learned to use state-of-the-art equipment; how to troubleshoot; how to take a moment away when looking at something too long. “I loved learning to listen and find the ‘tell’ in a gemstone and learning that if I don’t know something, to say so and how to find out. GIA did that for me. It gave me confidence. It gave me a skill set. Being able to apply my knowledge in a real-world setting was also life-changing.”

GIA Career Support

To give graduates a leg up, the institute established GIA Career Services to advise on options and how to plan and navigate the way to a successful career. They maintain a worldwide database of job offerings in the jewelry industry and hold an annual Jewelry Career Fair in Carlsbad, New York and London.

Help from GIA doesn’t end with graduation and a job. Per Louisa, “in the last few years online lectures, like the wonderful weekly GIA Knowledge Sessions, have been created. Continuing education and conversation are more accessible than ever. As a working professional, I am thankful to have such valuable platforms at my fingertips now.”

As for Louisa’s continuing journey, after a stint at an award-winning California jewelry store, she has struck out on her own. “I recently took my confidence to a new level by moving back to my childhood home of Whitefish, Montana, and opening my own business, LMC Jewelry Appraisal. It is so scary but so fun.”

This story about GIA certification appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story and photos by Jim Brace-Thompson.

The post How to Get a GIA Certification first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

The transformation from a found piece of rough to a cabbed or faceted gem is beautiful and dramatic. Sometimes the finished piece bears little resemblance to its humble beginnings. Here are a few before and after photos of the beauty of nature’s treasures from mine to mine.

Hematite Hematite is one of the most important sources of iron because of its high iron content, wide distribution, and abundance. Hematite derivс its name from the blood-red color of its powder. It has been used as a paint pigment since prehistoric times.

Malachite Malachite derives its name from a Greek word meaning “mallow green color.” Copper can be obtained from malachite using the smelting process. Malachite was used as an eye paint by the Egyptians and as a paint pigment starting in the 7th century.

Agate Most of the Tennesee Paint Rock agate deposits are located on the west side of the Cumberland Plateau near the Tennesee-Alabama border. Agate is a common variety of chalcedony and is found with bands of different colors and transparency. Agate often gets their name from the location where they are found.

Smoky Quartz Smoky quartz is produced when clear quartz is exposed to natural radiation. It is transparent to opaque and has a brownish-gray color. With a Mohs hardness of seven, it is a good candidate for use in the jewelry trade.

Tiger’s Eye Tiger’s eye is a variety of cryptocrystalline chalcedony quartz. Its chatoyant property (cat’s eye effect ) makes it popular with collectors. Tiger’s eye is naturally golden brown. Other colors, such as red, are sold in stores and have been treated to achieve different colors.

This story about rough gemstones to jewelry appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Richard Gross and Pam Freeman.

The post From Rough Gemstones to Jewelry first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Exactly what are the lapidary arts? Succinctly put, lapidary arts are the activities involved with shaping stones, minerals and gems into decorative items such as cabochons and faceted gems.

Access = Growth

I have been playing and working in the lapidary world for the past ten years. I facet, cab and carve gemstones, sell rough materials to other lapidary artists, teach faceting and carving, along with selling ULTRA TEC faceting machines. From 1988 to 2000, I worked as a researcher and developer on the National Science Foundation project that kickstarted the birth of the Internet. I am seeing parallels between the amazing digital communications paradigm shift and the lapidary arts’ evolution. The internet is the main catalyst driving the current renaissance of lapidary arts. The other major factors propelling lapidary arts forward are design software, new equipment and materials, and the ability for people to work from home – a unique opportunity for growth in our industry.

Now information is at our fingertips and traveling to buy rough stones and lapidary materials is a luxury and an adventure. People can travel to the Bolivia mine to buy the world’s finest ametrine for gemstone faceting, but they can alternately receive photos, videos, descriptions, and pricing via WhatsApp minutes after a request. Payment takes just seconds and a purchase can be delivered in days. This replaces the old mine-to-broker-to-exporter-to-importer-to-broker-to-gemstone cutter system and negates the additional markup of price for each of these hand-offs. Being able to conduct business online is significant because it provides lapidary artists and jewelers quick, affordable, and easy access to gemstones and rough from around the world.

Learning & Sharing

Previous generations of cutters were constrained to years of training through the apprenticeship model of instruction. The internet has freed newcomers by providing access to most of the information needed to get started and the ability to purchase the necessary materials. On a personal note, I can provide remote video faceting training globally. Follow-up questions are answered via email text and messaging. Although in-studio lessons are superior, the ability to provide a live video lesson brings the cost of learning gemstone faceting down significantly.

We can share information easily, but that does not mean that it happens. As with most trades, crafts, and artistic endeavors, processes and techniques have often been secretive. I see that the new generation of lapidary artists is more willing to share their knowledge with colleagues and beginners. We are starting to understand that knowledge is power, but only when it is shared. Social media provides rapid sharing and co-development of ideas, allowing quick development of new designs, techniques, and collaborations.

Selling Online

Easily available e-commerce gives stone dealers, cutters, and jewelers the ability to sell their materials online. Using social media, we have been able to create profitable and growing businesses. We no longer have to own a physical storefront, visit jewelry store clients, or attend gem and mineral shows. In four years, I was able to amass 60,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook. The result of this social media growth translates into my gemstone faceting business being booked nine months out. The cost of presenting and selling my finished lapidary creations is now at a minimum. My faceting students can set up and sell their gemstones six months after their first lesson with minimal sales infrastructure investment.

Digital Lapidary Design

The digital benefits of lapidary are not limited to information and commerce. Over the past years, gemstone designers have used computers to calculate the mathematical equations and geometry necessary to both improve and create better-performing and spectacular gemstones. Robert Wood Strickland developed the GemCad and GemRay programs that allow any gemstone cutter to use a computer to design and optimize their gemstone creations. The recent addition of the Gem Cut Studio has made creating gemstone designs available to anyone who has a computer, the time to read the manual, and a commitment to practice. All the basics of math, geometry, and gemstone attributes (such as material hardness and refractive indexes) have been put in the CAD (Computer-Aided Design) programs. The programs/apps shorten the learning curve in gemstone design by months if not years. Of course, knowing the basic principles of these disciplines is beneficial, but no longer an obstacle to generating cutting-edge designs. These programs are tools that put current cutters years ahead of their predecessors.

Precision Lapidary Tools & Materials

Newly developed precision tools have allowed artists to work faster, more accurately, and with finer detail. There are also new materials such as better abrasives for faceting, cabbing, and carving all varieties of rocks and gems. In addition, cutters are using instruments made for different media in their lapidary work. In Henry Hunt’s book, “American Lapidary, Designing the Carved Gemstone,” the author claims that in any artistic endeavor, originality follows the introduction of new tools and techniques. With this break from tradition, we are seeing the new generation of lapidary artists developing new processes and techniques that are innovative and exciting.

An Exciting Future for Lapidary Work

All of these innovations and advancements put new and young individuals looking to create their own lapidary art business in a unique and advantageous position. The ability to build one’s own business is a catalyst in the evolution of the lapidary arts.

We have a new generation of craftspeople and artists who grew up understanding and applying the components of this digital and readily accessible world. They find more rewarding and meaningful employment with the freedom to define their lives on their own terms. The recent development of accessible individual health care and the stay-at-home mentality that COVID-19 instilled also advanced this new breed of independent workers. These shifts enabled people to work at their home studios and within a new business model. Lapidary artists can make and sell whatever they want and whenever they want and are no longer restricted by a brick-and-mortar store, corporate structure, or marketing research reports.

Driven by Industry Pioneers

A renaissance is driven by a group of pioneers. There are dozens of lapidary artists, engineers, and free thinkers who have laid the path for the new generation of lapidary artists. It’s worth your time to look at some of the groundbreaking lapidary artists in the United States. Enjoy their creations and get inspired.

Years from now, when the next generation of lapidary artists looks back at this era of lapidary advancement, I hope that they see what I am seeing – a revolution, an evolution, and a renaissance. This is what happens when advanced technology, global trade, instant communications, social media e-commerce, and a new generational shift of the paradigm exists. I invite you to be aware, open your eyes, seek out, and enjoy the magnificent and wondrous creations of our contemporary lapidary artists during these innovative times.

This story about a lapidary renaissance appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Mark Oros.

The post Exploring a Lapidary Renaissance first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

The Impact of Light

Light is a major component of art and craft. Light is what reflects and allows us to see shape, color and the subtleties that the hand and eye created. However, the lapidary who facets (the process of turning the rough gem crystal material into a decorative gemstone) a stone has to consider light in another dimension. Light is an essential part of the medium and process, just like paint is essential to painting a portrait.

Light and the gemstone’s material are married in the creation of a jewel. Light reflects off the gemstone surface and returns to your eye like any craft or art. However, how to cut gemstones properly involves light also entering the gemstone and bouncing around, and returning from inside the gemstone. The greater quantity of light that can be captured and moved within the gemstone, the more exciting the jewel becomes. Poorly cut facet angles will allow the light to simply pass through the gemstone making a window. Correct angle facets can also be cut to break up the returning light, creating scintillation. Now, the gem sparkles! The attention given to light is a major difference between mass-produced faceted colored gemstones and performance-faceted colored gemstones cut by lapidary artists.

Learning to Work With Light

Gaining knowledge, as well as understanding and learning how to cut gemstones to apply it to faceting is complex and takes time. Like playing an instrument or learning to dance, the key element to success is practice. Through practice, artists begin to see the results of their efforts and understand the effects of subtle changes and modifications. With this knowledge and experience, a lapidary can then start to develop new and better techniques to improve a jewel’s performance.

When designing and faceting a gemstone, a designer has to consider and make decisions regarding the different performance attributes of the stone that result from various cutting techniques. These attributes include the following.

• Color depends on how to cut gemstones to enhance their natural color, resulting in a variety of saturations, hues and transparencies.

• Brightness is perceived when light enters the stone, bounces around and reflects back to the viewer’s eyes.

• Scintillation comes from different facets and their ability to create different beams of light that make a sparkling effect.

• Dispersion of light creates secondary and tertiary colors and is made by creating angles that separate the colors of the light spectrum.

• The darkness or lightness of a gemstone is determined both by how to cut gemstones using faceting angles and the depth of the cuts to darken or lighten the stone and ultimately affect the jewel’s weight.

Everything All at Once?

In a perfect world, artists try to maximize all of the performance attributes of a finished jewel. However, it is a balancing act because enhancing one performance aspect of a jewel means another may suffer. Making a stone lighter in color and also maximizing its weight by making it larger doesn’t necessarily work together.

The different attributes of light performance must be balanced and work together to create the best outcome for the jewel. These trade-offs are usually driven by the buyer. Lapidaries must consider the capabilities of each individual gemstone both in performance and the potential market value of the resulting design/ cut. With beauty being in the eye of the beholder, lapidary techniques must be applied to meet the eye of its new beholder (personal beauty) and the generations to come (timeless beauty).

Mass Market Vs. Small Business

Gemstones are cut for different markets based on that market’s perception of value. The two major attributes of the mass market for gemstones are color and weight. This is based on years of market development along with the original sizes and shapes of available rough gemstone crystals. The lapidaries that facet these gemstones are talented, but they are restricted to creating a standard and repeatable result to meet the size and color expectations of the industry. They do not have the luxury of forfeiting the gemstone’s color or weight for better light performance.

However, movement and play-of-light is the biggest component of a jewel’s performance. Many lapidaries prefer to create gemstones where light performance takes priority over weight and color. The artists and their clients see value in this. While weight and color are still top of mind, the beauty of the finished jewel is viewed from a different perspective than the mass market. It is not only the shape, design and size of the gemstone, but also how the light will play within it to create beauty for the new owner.

How to Cut Gemstones: The Science of Light

How to cut gemstones is the result of understanding and applying the disciplines of geology, gemology, geometry, chemistry and optics. Understanding the science of light and its movement within a faceted gemstone is important to get the brightest, most sparkling and most beautiful gemstone.

Material refractive indexes, dispersion and critical angles are major components to getting the best light performance from a gemstone Gemstone designer, Jim Perkins had a gemstone performance mission. He wanted to design gemstones that dazzled the beholder. He would create new and unique gemstone designs, but his forte was taking classic gemstone designs and maximizing their performance. He used to say that his designs were “10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration,” meaning that he worked harder at the gemstone performance attributes of light return and scintillation than he did at making new geometric designs.

Client Satisfaction

On a personal note, I began using Jim Perkins’ gemstone designs and started to get immediate reactions from my jewelry design and setting clients. I remember the first couple of times I brought a set of Jim’s designs faceted in quartz, amethyst, citrine and rose quartz to show my jewelry clients. They were startled. I asked them what was wrong and they all said the same thing, “I didn’t know tourmaline came in this color.” I informed them it was a quartz gemstone and they all said the same thing, “You can’t make quartz do that!” But there it was in their hands, a beautiful piece of performance-based faceted quartz using Jim Perkins’ design, born from his perspiration and affinity for bouncing the light back to the viewer.

Light performance within a jewel has always been a major component of gemstone design. Over the centuries, we have been able to use science to better understand and apply the knowledge of light performance and crystal structure to our lapidary designs and techniques. In the past 50 years, lapidary has started to look at gemstone design and fabrication differently by using increased knowledge and newly developed tools. Cutters have found a growing market willing to pay for beauty that is both innovative and performance-based.

This story about how to cut gemstones appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Mark Oros.

The post How to Cut Gemstones to Reflect Light first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

ABOUT MOROCCAN SEAM AGATE

Moroccan seam agate’s colors are amazing, just like the fall in New England. The colors range from red, orange, pink, peach and green. They are sandwiched between a basalt host stone, and the outer layers are mostly a mix of hematite and goethite. This creates a beautiful border, that at times, has a plume or even a paisley appearance. The majority of the inside of this agate will have a common range of color from red to orange, with decorative banding or fortifications.

HOW TO BUY

When purchasing Moroccan seam agate, you can easily see the patterns showing on the edges. This gives you a good idea of what the slabs will look like inside.

Most of this agate will range from 1/4-inch to two inches thick. This isn’t very thick and it can be a challenge to create shapes from it. What Moroccan seam agate lacks in size, it makes up in color and patterns. Most of the time it’s best to slab this material from north to south. If pieces are a bit thicker and show signs of agate pockets, these can be sliced horizontally, and you can accommodate a different pattern.

CUTTING MOROCCAN SEAM AGATE

The slabbing process is fairly easy with this material. Most of the pieces are like trimming the edges off of a slice of bread. I do all my cuts on a 10-inch trim saw.

Once Moroccan seam agate slabs are cut, this is where the challenge starts. Creating cabs with long thin narrow pieces can be difficult, at least to create a variety of shapes. I tend to choose large oblong ovals or marquise shapes for the majority of my cabs, however, you can get creative and find various ways to cut them utilizing the patterns in each slab. Always take into account that the very edges of each slab are softer grainy basalt that won’t be very good to leave in your cab design, so mark out each preform accordingly.

CABBING THIS MATERIAL

Once your preforms are trimmed out, the cabbing process is pretty standard for most agates. There are just a few things to note upfront.

The outer basalt rind should be trimmed off until you reach solid material, then grind your edges down to your preform marks.

The hematite/goethite edges might be a slight bit softer than the agate center. Don’t worry. This material won’t undercut, however, you will still need to closely watch your edges as cracks may appear as you start grinding down your girdle edge. They usually don’t go all the way through, they tend to show up, but only about 1mm deep. If this happens, you may have to alter your pattern slightly and grind that portion down or draw the edge of your cab in ever so slightly. You may also just shrink down your girdle edge and see if that makes it go away.

From this point, shape and dome on the 80 grit steel wheel. Once your shape is obtained, you can start smoothing out the top on either a 140 soft resin wheel or 220 grit wheel. This should remove the majority of the scratches. Next, finish sanding on the 280 soft resin wheel and continue to dry the cab off checking for any remaining scratches. It’s important to get all of the scratches out on this wheel before moving on since the 600 grit will not be able to get them out.

From this point, the remaining routine will finish off your Moroccan seam agate cab leaving a beautiful high polish on the 14k grit wheel and your cab is all ready to set into jewelry.

This story about Moroccan seam agate appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Russ Kaniuth.

The post Moroccan Seam Agate: What to Cut first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Gifts For New Rockhounds

New rockhounds can be easy to purchase a gift for because they’re usually still stocking up on the basics.

Rock Hammers: Start with one of the most essential tools, a rock hammer. There’s a wide range of rock hammers available with different prices, weights and materials. Good rock hammers are well-balanced and made of a single piece of hardened steel. Handle grips may be made of rubber or leather for cushioning.

Rock hammers weighing eight ounces or less are suitable for children, while those weighing 16 to 22 ounces are good for adults. The ideal weight depends on the hardness of the rocks. Hammers may have a chisel edge or pointed tip. The pointed-tip rock hammers are usually called rock picks. Either version is bound to be a hit–literally.

Starter Kits: Ready-made starter kits are available or you can customize one just for your favorite rockhound. Items for a well-rounded starter kit include:

• A heavy-duty bag to carry tools and rocks
• Rock hammer
• Two or three rock chisels
• A short-handled or collapsible shovel
• Cleaning brushes
• A jeweler’s loupe
• Safety goggles
• Sturdy gloves

Safety items to include are a whistle and compass for emergencies and guidance.

Field Guides and Books About Rocks: Field guides and books that are tailored to rockhounding as a hobby, rock identification and even places to visit make wonderful gifts. Rowman & Littlefield Falcon Guides include books on rockhounding in specific states, with many scheduled for updated releases.

GPS Units: Handheld GPS units make wonderful gifts. Yes, cell phones have a mapping system, but internet access can be spotty in places. GPS units work off a satellite so they’re less likely to lose their signal in canyons and other areas you typically lose cell signals. Units designed for hiking also include detailed topography maps.

High-quality Garmin receivers are WAASenabled, a more accurate navigation system than the standard GPS found in most phones. These can get pricey, which is why some rockhounds won’t splurge on one themselves.

Seasoned Rockhounds

Seasoned rockhounds can be a little more challenging when buying gifts for them because they usually have all the latest rock-hunting gadgets. Outside-the-box thinking can be helpful. Consider replacements for rockhounding tools that may have worn out, such as rock hammers and chisels, especially if they use them a lot. Also consider buying higher-quality items than what they currently have.

Rock Hammer Sheath: Long-time rockhounds probably have a quality rock hammer but may have never splurged on a rock hammer sheath or holder opting to toss their hammer in a collection bag or bucket or simply tuck it into their belt. Nearly all popular rock hammers fit in these holders to provide easier access.

Rock Collecting Bags: Collection bags or pouches built specifically for rock collecting make practical and well-appreciated gifts, especially if your rockhound still lugs around a five-gallon bucket. On a fruitful rock collecting day, tossing all those keeper rocks into a bucket makes it heavy and cumbersome. Durable canvas or leather rock collecting bags have adjustable straps and often fit across the body to evenly distribute the weight while freeing up hands to dig for specimens.

UV Flashlights: Many minerals glow under ultraviolet light, making it one of the easiest ways to confirm if something is the real deal. High-quality portable UV flashlights let rockhounds easily identify minerals in the field instead of waiting until they get home. Look for a lightweight rechargeable UV flashlight that doesn’t take up much room in a pack but is durable enough to handle a potentially rough ride.

Updated Books & Journals: Even seasoned rockhounds appreciate updated field guides with the latest rock, gem and mineral information. Believe it or not, things do change from time to time. Look for new editions of popular guides on the best places to hunt for rocks or ask at the local bookstore. For those who enjoy recurring reading material, consider a print and/or digital subscription to Rock & Gem magazine.

You could also opt for a new waterproof journal for cataloging and note-taking. Excellent all-weather journals have paper that repels water, sweat, mud and grease.

Fun Novelty Gifts for Anyone

Consider something a little kitschy for the rockhound with everything and/or a great sense of humor. Novelty gifts can put a smile on your rock collector’s face and give them a fun item to use while broadcasting their love of rocks. Generic gifts like socks and soap are generally boring, unappreciated gifts but not so when they have a rock-related twist.

Rock Replica Soap: What better way to scrub away the dirt after a day of hunting for rocks than with a bar of soap that looks just like a rock? Incredible geode-shaped soaps make clean-up fun and a potentially great gift for kids and/or that hard to buy for rockhound.

Keychains: Give the gift that lets rock and gem fans decorate their car and/or house keys with a keychain featuring raw or tumbled stones. Choose their birthstone or a favorite stone if they have one. There are even keychains with multiple tiny stones, like a seven-stone chakra keychain that’s perfect for metaphysical friends.

Worry Stones: These stones make great gifts for rockhounds or anyone who likes rocks and/or needs a way to relax. Worry stones, also known as palm stones, are smooth polished gemstones with a thumb-sized indentation made for rubbing. Gift one to a recipient who enjoys carrying it in their pocket for stress relief.

Bookends: For rock fans with an extensive collection of rock-related (or unrelated) books, what better way to display them than with stone bookends? You generally have a choice of materials and colors so you can personalize it to fit your rock-loving friends and family. Common bookend materials include agates (natural or dyed) and rose quartz. Other unique gifts for rockhounds include household décor items such as agate coasters and candle holders made of stone.

Novelty Shirts: T-shirts and sweatshirts with humorous and/or witty slogans are fun for any occasion, and a surprisingly large number are dedicated to rock hunting and collecting. The selection of shirts for rock collectors is constantly changing, with new designs coming out just in time for the holidays. You can also find cute rock-related socks and bolo ties featuring various rocks and gems.

Gifts For Metaphysical Friends

People who believe in the metaphysical aspects of rocks and crystals are rock collectors of a different kind. They’re also often easier for selecting gifts for rockhounds. Friends and family members who’ve just discovered the metaphysical world probably have a limited collection, providing plenty of gift-giving options. However, even advanced practitioners appreciate new and/or unique additions to their collections. Visit a metaphysical boutique and you’ll find numerous gift ideas.

Books and Guides: Visit any brick-and-mortar or online bookstore, and you’ll find numerous books about the healing properties of crystals. These include books and reference guides for beginners and advanced practitioners with detailed photos and information. You can also find this information in chart form. Popular options include:

• Crystals for Healing: The Complete Reference Guide With Over 200 Remedies for Mind, Heart & Soul Hardcover by Karen Frazier (paperback or hardback). Includes detailed photography and alphabetized references to recognize crystals and gemstones.
• Crystals for Beginners: The Guide to Get Started with the Healing Power of
• Crystals by Karen Frazier (paperback or spiral-bound). Includes comprehensive crystal profiles and healing remedies with clear instructions.

Starter Collections: Chakra therapy starter collections typically come with several Chakra stones and may include other crystals and stones with various healing properties. It’s a great option when you know someone has just started their spiritual journey with rocks and crystals. You can also create your own collection by choosing individual gemstones and crystals and placing them in a beautiful wooden box. Instead of loose crystals and gems, you can also opt for earrings, bracelets and pendants featuring a favorite stone or birthstone.

Animal Lovers: Advanced metaphysical practitioners may extend their crystal healing to their four-legged family members. A thoughtful gift might be a pet amulet worn on the pet’s collar or harness. Because different crystals have different healing properties, it’s best if you know a little about the pet. For example, practitioners recommend blue lace agate for rescue pets, but other pets also find the stone calming. They also recommend black onyx for outdoor pets and increasing strength and stamina.

Gifts For Rockhounds: Kids

Kids and rocks often go hand-in-hand, or you may encourage rock hunting to increase a child’s interest in the natural world and playing outdoors. When buying gifts for rockhounds, buying for kids is generally the easiest task.

Rock Books for Kids: National Geographic is an excellent provider of rock-related gifts for your little rockhounds. It’s also a popular source of kid-friendly reading material, including books on rocks. New books for kids in 2022 include:

• National Geographic Readers: Bling! (L3): 100 Fun Facts About Rocks and Gems (Paperback) January 4, 2022
• Weird But True Know-It-All: Rocks & Minerals (Paperback) February 15, 2022

Kid-Sized Rock Tools: Rock hunting feeds many kids’ natural desire to play in the dirt, making it an easy way to encourage outdoor play. Purchase a ready-made kit or create a mini pack of rock-hunting tools perfect for those little hands. Tool kits for kids can include:

• Small pail and bag for tools and rocks
• Rock hammer
• Sand scoop
• Colander or sieve
• Safety goggles
• A kid-sized rock tumbler to polish rocks

Rock Kits: Get them started with a kit containing hundreds of different stones to identify. Kits usually contain a collection of real fossils, geodes, jasper, rose quartz and many more rocks and gems. They also frequently come with a book or suggest a book to accompany the kit. You can also opt for a dig kit, which comes with fewer gems but has tools to dig them up.

Rock Projects & Crafts: There are all sorts of kits online for crafts and other projects using rocks. One popular option is a rock painting kit that lets kids paint the rocks included and the stones they find themselves. Another option is a Mohs hardness kit with samples.

When All Else Fails

Gift cards aren’t very personal but work well as gifts for rockhounds in a pinch when you have no idea what to get the rock lover(s) on your list. Surprisingly, many shops with rocks and rock-related gadgets offer gift cards or certificates. However, if the ones closest to you don’t, a generic gift card works, too. On the plus side, you know they’ll get something they really want because gift cards let them choose for themselves. Other options include tickets to a nearby rock and gem show or an envelope of cold hard cash to pitch in for their next rock-hunting adventure.

Bonus Gifts for Rockhounds: Stocking Stuffers

When thinking of gifts for rockhounds, stockings are great for those little tools that rockhounds invariably lose in the field, like rock chisels. These come in various sizes and lengths and should be specifically for working with rocks, or they’ll quickly break. Stockings are also a good place for those cute rock socks you saw online or some good sunblock to help protect their skin from all those hours spent outdoors. A new pair of safety goggles, sturdy gloves, or even a set of shoestrings for their favorite hiking boots also fill stockings well. Small rocks (not lumps of coal) make fun stocking stuffers, then, for giggles, throw in some rock candy and Pop Rocks, and you’re good to go!

This story about gifts for rockhounds appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Moira K. McGhee.

The post Gifts for Rockhounds first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Our magazine writers have been reflecting on their most cherished rockhound gifts and what they hope to find under the tree. Whether it’s a practical tool, a book that has become a trusted companion or a beautiful specimen piece, these gifts reflect the essence of rockhounding – a shared appreciation for Earth’s treasures, minerals and jewelry.

We hope you’ll find inspiration and ideas for gifts for rock collectors and for celebrating the season with the fellow rockhounds in your life.

“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Silverton, Colorado — its history, mines, people, scenery and of course, the train. They also know that a good book is always on my wish list. Over the years, I have purchased over 60 books from Silverton local, Scott Fetchenhier of Fetch’s Mercantile. Scott is a geologist, miner, snare drummer in the town band and the author of one of my favorite books, “Ghosts and Gold,” the history of the Old One Hundred Mine just outside of Silverton. These days, the Old One Hundred offers tours and is owned by Bill Jones, brother of Bob Jones, editor emeritus of Rock & Gem magazine. It would make a wonderful gift if your rockhound has these same interests. I also included a second favorite book — a coffee table book of black and white photographs of San Juan County, Colorado mines, mills and Ghost Towns which tickles my fancy of mines and photography by local, Colorado photographer Thomas Livingstone, “Historic Treasures of the San Juan Mountains”–also purchased from ‘Fetch.’” – Sue Eyre

“I usually don’t receive rockhound gifts from my family because I have too much stuff already. Although, a couple of years ago, I did receive a slab of Davis Creek obsidian from my grandson who accompanied me on a rockhounding trip to Northern California and Southern Oregon.” – Bob Rush

“My rockhounding partner in crime (and dirt), Charles, gave me a mother-of-pearl necklace years ago that I adore to this day. I love the origin story of this mineral otherwise known as nacre and, as a Cancer and water sign, I do believe these natural gems of the sea resonate for me in calm and healing ways. We’re hoping to visit Washington D.C. for the holidays, so if Charles will indulge me in a visit to the Smithsonian’s mineral and gem collection at the Museum of Natural History to say ‘hello’ to the Hope Diamond (especially after enjoying Steve Voynick’s October article on its purported curse), that’s all I could ask for (okay, and maybe a new pair of Uggs).” – LA Sokolowski

“My father, Floyd Painter, was given a small assortment of Carboniferous plant fossils collected at Cloyd’s Mountain in Pulaski County, Virginia, by an anthropology student at Old Dominion University as a trade for some Native American artifacts. The fossils included some fossil fern carbonized imprints on shale, a small (6-inch) piece of a Lepidodendron trunk, the leaves of Sigillaria, a giant lycopod, as well as one large (9-inch) Stigmaria fossil of gray sandstone. My father gave me this and a couple of the smaller pieces for Christmas of 1991 or 1992. They are my favorites because they were part of the very first real forests in the world, forests composed of strange-looking, huge versions of plants whose modern relatives are so small that they are often not even noticed in the woods and fields. There is nothing quite like them in the world today and if I show them to people, they will hopefully remember them for the amazing things they are and not just think of them as some old shell. This year, I’m asking for a gift card to an airline to put toward fare for a trip to observe and/ or collect more fossils and minerals.” – Deborah Painter

“I know it is sacrilege, but I really do not need any rocks, gemstones or crystals. In fact, I really need to sell one or two thousand pounds of stones, but giving these away for holiday gifts is not always a thoughtful or personal gift. So, this year, I am buying my rockhound friends the agate book bundle by Marco Campos Venuti. The two books in this bundle are Genesis and Classification of Agates and Jaspers: A New Theory and Banded Agates: A Genetic Approach. Being a self-confessed agate enthusiast, I find the two books fascinating in their exploration of the origin of these beautiful gemstones and the photos capture some of the most wondrous agate specimens in the world. After reading these books, or just looking at the pictures, I guarantee you will never look or think about agates the same way again.

“This holiday season, I am asking Santa for the Deluxe Hardness Pick Set from mineralab.com. Sure, asking for a specific gift rules out the element of surprise, but it is something I really need in my lapidary studio and it is a gift that won’t need to be returned. This is a replacement gift because I have almost worn out my current pick set. It is an essential tool for me to identify rocks and gems quickly. I already have a specific gravity testing setup, dichroscope, refractometer and other gem identification tools, but the Deluxe Hardness Pick Set is my first line for identifying rough rocks and gemstones. It is not to be used on finished gemstones and lapidary art. Although my old pick set is still working, a new one will ensure accurate testing and I can give my old one to a junior rockhound in need.” – Mark Oros

“My favorite gifts are books, everything from field-collecting guides to the full range of Earth science topics. They don’t wear out and never lose their value or use. I’m hoping to get the Maine edition of the great Roadside Geology series by Mountain Press to add to my home library this year.” – Steve Voynick

“My daughters bought me an Estwing paleontological hammer with a leather grip and had it engraved with my moniker PALEOJOE. That hammer has seen a great deal of use and made some wonderful discoveries. My next wish is for a Marine Corps K-Bar knife and sheath. Believe it or not, it works great for splitting sediment while looking for dinosaur bones.” – Joe Kchodl

“My favorite gift was a UV flashlight that enables me to check out new specimens. Before receiving this gift, I had a little dinky light that was practically useless unless it was completely dark. This light is powerful enough to use while I’m standing up with the room light on. I am pretty certain my friend got it from Amazon. It’s a uvBEAST Black Light UV flashlight. For the holidays, my friends and family know that any type of geode that I do not have is welcome. The quest for this may well be the premise for a new Mission Impossible flick!” – Richard Gross

“The gifts I enjoy most are the ones I give. The first gift is a 350-pound polished malachite from Africa. It was given to the Alfie Norville University of Arizona Gem and Mineral Museum in Tucson in memory of my first wife who was a U of A graduate. The next gift is set to go to the Pima County Gem and Mineral Museum. It is a large mass of schist with several emeralds embedded in the schist and the upper part is a series of carved busts.” – Bob Jones

“My favorite rockhound gift? Art Clay Silver. It provides hours of fun transforming sand dollars and other little marvels tossed up along our local beaches into pure silver jewelry that I, in turn, can give as gifts throughout the year. For this year, Santa, bring more Art Clay Silver! Not to be greedy, but Art Clay Gold would be good, too!” – Jim Brace-Thompson

“My favorite rockhound gift was my first pair of good steel-toed hiking boots that I received for Christmas in 1980 when I was a sophomore in college. I was about to leave for my first real field geology class that January, and it was great to have a pair of boots that did not fall apart in the wilderness. Many of my fellow students had cheap boots that literally came apart at the seams in the mountains, but my quality boots stayed intact. As I recall they were a pair of Timberlands.

“The rockhound gift that I am asking for this year is for as many family members as possible to join me on a rock-collecting trip to the mountains. Field trips are more enjoyable with lots of people, but I will settle for anyone who wants to come. Getting family motivated to come on field trips is often a challenge!” – Robert Beard

“My favorite in my gifts for rock collectors list is an amethyst bookend from my daughter. She bought a pair of them and kept one for herself and I have the other. This is special because she is moving away from home for her first job. It has such a sentiment for me as my first child leaves the nest.

I do have some picks for gifts for rock collectors as the editor. These are great products for rockhounds to consider as they are making purchases this year. The first is an Easy Saw Rotating Clamp (www.easyrotatingclamp. com) for jewelry makers. According to their website, “It features a 360-degree rotating clamp that can securely hold a variety of materials, including sheet metal, carving wax, and coins.” If you do purchase this and make some jewelry with it, please share photos of your creations. I’d love to see them.

My second pick is the Tumble-Vibe 10 (No Drain 115V) Professional Rock Polishing Kit from Raytech (www.raytech-ind.com). This tumbler takes your game to the next level and is designed specifically for rockhounds. It has everything you need to immediately plug and play (minus the rocks).

Last but not least is a faceting machine from Ultra Tec. If you’ve been thinking about learning to facet gems, Ultra Tec offers top-quality machines and superb customer service to help in your journey. I like Ultra Tec so much that I’m often tempted to learn how to facet myself.” – Pam Freeman

This story about gifts for rock collectors appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Pam Freeman.

The post Holiday Gifts for Rock Collectors first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

What is Fool’s Gold?

Fool’s gold is a mineral called pyrite, also called iron pyrite. Its name comes because it fools people into thinking they’ve found genuine gold.

“Pyrite is usually found in quartz veins, sedimentary rock, metaphoric rock even igneous rock. It has a very cubic form and a nice brassy luster, so it’s confused for gold a lot. There aren’t too many things out there that look like gold besides gold,” said Michael George, Assistant Chief of the Nonferrous and Precious Metals Group in the Mineral Commodities Section of the National Minerals Information Center of the U.S. Geological Survey.

George has been with the USGS (www. usgs.gov) for almost 20 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mineral economics from Penn State and his master’s degree from George Mason in geographic and cartographic science.

How Fool’s Gold Differs From Real Gold

Looking at it from a scientific standpoint, fool’s gold and real gold aren’t alike at all.

“Chemically, pyrite is made up of the chemicals iron and sulfur where gold is its own element. Gold only has molecules of gold in it. Pyrite has one iron molecule for every two sulfur molecules. Their chemical compositions are completely different,” explained Cynthia Pridmore, a California Geological Survey (CGS) Senior Engineering Geologist.

Pridmore has spent 33 years with the CGS. Although most of her work has primarily been in earthquake hazards, because gold is California’s state mineral, she feels it’s something all employees should know about.

“Gold doesn’t really have a form, it’s pretty much an amorphic blob when it’s found in nature,” added George. “While pyrite usually has a cubic structure, it usually has flat edges on it. If you see something with flat edges and shiny, you’re pretty much guaranteed that it’s pyrite.”

Simple Tests to Tell the Difference

There are several simple ways to tell the difference between fools’ gold and the real deal. One quick way to tell is if you bite it and it hurts, it’s not gold. However, this test isn’t recommended if you want to keep your teeth!

“This kind of goes back to when you’d watch old movies and you see the gold miner bite on the gold nugget and says, ‘Ah, that’s real gold,’ that’s because he’s denting it with his teeth,” she said. “The gold nugget is going to be soft enough that teeth will dent it. However, if you bite on too many rocks that aren’t gold, you’ll start wearing your teeth away.”

Hardness, however, is one of the easiest tests, but Pridmore has a better solution than the old bite test.

“If you take a metal probe or metal fingernail file or anything that has steel in it and you touch gold, it’ll deform. Kind of like a ball of aluminum foil kind of crushes,” said Pridmore. “Gold is malleable, it’s soft and it can dent easily. If you don’t want to dent it too much, you can dent it lightly and look at it with a hand lens to see the dent in it. The hardness is really important. Pyrite is brittle. You’ll either scratch it or you’ll chip off a piece of it.”

She said another easy way to tell the difference is in color. Pyrite is often described as brassy, but it has a bit of greenish color in it when compared side by side with gold. In the field, you can compare your find to a piece of gold you’ve already confirmed as genuine, like a wedding band.

Both Pridmore and George agree that shape is also a reliable way to tell the difference between fool’s gold and real gold. They both describe pyrite’s shape as cubic. George also describes the edges as straight, while Pridmore describes the crystals of the pyrite as usually being at right angles.

When asked about the most accurate ways to distinguish pyrite from gold, Pridmore suggested panning and George described a fun streak test.

“Gold is heavier than pyrite,” Pridmore said. “If you break the substances up into a fine material and pan it, you’ll see that the heavier mineral is what’s left behind. Pyrite isn’t that heavy, so it’d get flung out of the pan.”

George added that “in Geology 101, we’re taught what’s called the Streak Test. If you take a chunk of pyrite and rub it against a white unglazed porcelain tile, it’ll streak black. It’s very noticeable. But if you use gold, it’ll leave a light yellow streak. All you’re doing is transferring the gold onto the porcelain. It’s really easy to tell. This is a fun test. I used to go to elementary schools and do geology talks, and this was always a fun one to show them. You don’t expect it to happen.”

Other Minerals That Might Fool You

It’s not just pyrite that can fool a person.

“Besides pyrite, sometimes people mistake weathered mica for gold, which is a flaky mineral. But mica is only mistaken when it’s weathered because it’ll usually catch the sunlight. If you see it at a certain angle, it’ll catch the sunlight and reflect back maybe yellowish hue. However, once you get close to it, you’ll clearly note that it’s not gold. It just looks like a flake, like Formica,” said George.

While pyrite (fool’s gold) is the most common mineral mistaken for gold, chalcopyrite also appears and looks like gold, but it’s also brittle and not soft like gold. Weathered mica could look like gold, particularly when you’re panning.

“If you do see gold, you’ll see that little bit of grain in the bottom of the pan with the heavy dark minerals. But mica is sometimes in there, too, because it’s flat and it floats around,” said Pridmore. “Kids get really excited, especially if you’re at the river and you stir up the sand, and you see all those things twinkling at you, that’s mica. It can look like it’s flashing gold at you, but it’s not gold. It scratches very easily. If you take a little metal probe and scratch the mica, it’s brittle. It’ll scratch, but it’ll scratch in crumbs and break into powdery pieces. Whereas gold, if you poke it, it’s going to be soft and not break.”

What’s Pyrite Worth?

Much of the information you find on pyrite declares the mineral relatively worthless. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not used for certain things that can give it some value.

“Back in the ancient times, it was a useful thing to find because it would spark so it was used a lot against steel to start fires. Now, not so much,” said George. “Domestically in the United States, we don’t use it for anything other than pretty rocks, which I guess is a useful thing,” he said. “You’ll often see it as an ornamental rock on somebody’s desk. I’ve got several pieces in my office. It does look nice and pretty.”

Elsewhere in the world, pyrite is used to produce sulfur dioxide to make sulfuric acid. Sometimes it’s used in the fertilizer industry.

Armed with these details on fool’s gold, you should be able tell if those shiny specks are truly gold that’ll put a little cha-ching in your wallet.

This story about fool’s gold appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Moira McGhee.

The post Get to Know Fool’s Gold first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Seraphinite Properties

The mica inclusions give the stone wonderful chatoyancy. The inclusions grow at different lengths, the longer ones give that feather appearance. Other times you get shorter growth patterns in rows that give the mystic forest appearance. The radial growth patterns in this stone are more highly sought after and make for beautiful designs in cabochons.

Finding Seraphinite

Although seraphinite is getting rather scarce to find, it is still available for sale at shows and online. Most of the time you can easily see what you’re getting, as the patterns will be quite visible on the outside. If you are looking for certain patterns and a higher grade, buying pre-cut slabs is the way to go. If you have never cut seraphinite before, know there are some pitfalls with this material. It’s soft and can easily break in the trimming or cabbing process. It also has varying hardnesses, so it can tend to undercut, as well as easily chip on the edges.

Cutting to Enhance the Patterns

When getting started on cutting slabs, there is a general direction to cut. Most of the time you will see radial or partial radial sprays at the bottom portion of the stone. That will give you a grasp of what is top and bottom, so you can cut north to south for your slabs. This will yield the best chatoyant patterns in the stone. I would also suggest cutting your slabs a slight bit thicker than the average stone because of its softness.

This gives you greater odds against it breaking in the cabbing process. Once your slabs are cut, many times you will get two predominant patterns for design. The top portion usually has smaller feather patterns that are tight together. The bottom portion will give you more radial sprays and longer feathery designs. Both sections are great to design cabs with but remember that the solid green areas are harder than the mica inclusions, and will tend to undercut. The lighter the color, the softer that portion.

Cabbing Seraphinite

Once your preforms are trimmed out and you are ready to cab, I would suggest a different routine than cabbing agates or jaspers. I like to start on a worn 80-grit steel wheel, or a 140-grit soft resin, as this material tends to grind away super easily and quickly. Use a soft touch to shape your outside design, then move to a 140-grit or even the 280-grit soft resin wheel to dome the top and clean up your edges and girdle on the cab.

Remember, the lighter the color, the softer it is, so beware when trying to cab thin cabs or long pointy cabs, it can break easily!

Once you have completed shaping and doming the cab on the 280-grit wheel, stop and dry it off thoroughly and be sure you have removed all the scratches by this point. With the mica inclusions running in a certain direction, you will easily see if there are any scratches, as they will stand out going against the feathery sprays.

From this point, start polishing gently on the 600-grit wheel, trying not to put too much pressure on the surface to alleviate any unwanted undercutting. Continue to the 1200 grit wheel and end on either the 3k grit or 8k grit wheel. At this point, it will give you a nice glossy finish where no added polishing compounds are needed.

This story about seraphinite previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Russ Kaniuth.

The post Seraphinite – What to Cut first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Although most people know this material for its beautiful blue color, it also can be found in pink and violet. Dumortierite can be found in various places across the globe, and at times, has been mistaken for sodalite, or lapis lazuli. Some variations that have gorgeous fibrous dumortierite sprays inside quartz crystals are rare. These tend to be very small pieces, usually ranging from one to five carats. Dumortierite is a good material for lapidary beginners to get hands-on experience. It’s available almost anywhere rocks are sold in a good variety of colors and patterns. It’s fairly hard, usually about seven to eight on the Mohs scale. It also cuts fairly easily.

Tips for Buying Dumortierite

When buying Dumortierite rough, the colors usually show on the outside, but it can have a thin brown rind that can be chipped away to expose the inner color. Many times the blues can be mottled with a lot of white. If a certain hue of blue or continual color throughout is needed, it’s best to buy slabs to be certain.

Cutting Rough Dumortierite

When starting out cutting rough, there is no certain direction to load the saw. This is helpful so that it can be loaded in a way that best fits the vice and yield the most material by cutting straight across the entire stone in one direction. Once the slabs are cut, there generally aren’t many fractures in this material. However, it’s always best to bench test before marking up the slabs for preform designs. Either flex the slab in hand to see if it’s stable or lightly tap it against the workbench or ground to see if there are any hidden fractures. This helps to avoid breaking while in the middle of trimming out cab shapes.

Cabbing Dumortierite

Once the preforms are cut and ready for cabbing, be sure to have a dry towel or canned air available to check for scratches along the way. Since towels get damp in a hurry and canned air can start getting expensive, one suggestion is to get a five-gallon air tank with a spray nozzle. It can be continually filled up by a personal air compressor or by a nearby gas station and it will last for quite a while.

Dumortierite tends to quickly show heavy white marks if scratches are still present. I suggest starting on an 80-grit steel wheel to shape and dome cabs and moving to either a 60-grit soft resin wheel or 140 soft resin. This material is fairly hard, so it will take a bit of time to smooth it out and remove all the scratches from the 80-grit wheel. Be sure to dry off occasionally and see if any white scratches are showing.

From this point, move on to the 280-grit soft resin wheel. A white or pale blue haze across the cab is to be expected, but not scratches. Make sure no scratches exist before moving forward. From this point, it’s fair routine to continue cabbing to the 600 grit, all the way up to the 14k grit soft resin wheels.

Finishing Gloss

A 50k grit polishing wheel works great to get an added high-luster gloss. Unless going slow in short increments, it’s not suggested to use polishing compounds on this material. Also, be sure not to allow the material to heat up too much. It can tend to fracture with heat.

This story about dumortierite previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Russ Kaniuth.

The post Dumortierite: What to Cut first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.