Fac-Ette GemMaster II Google Group

weather

2008-09-04T16:39:37Z

Hello,
From the reports it looks like Hanna and Ike are on the way to North
Carolina to disrupt your way of life for a few days.
I trust you will all take care and get out of town if necessary.
Barb Yost - Standale Michigan - No Hurricanes here!

RE: Mystery material

2008-09-03T03:23:51Z

Hi Wayne,

Thanks -- on multiple levels! It's good to be (almost) back, after what feels like an eternity. Someday, when my every syllable isn't being recorded for "posteriority", I'll fill in the blanks about what's been happening; for now, suffice it to say that things are definitely moving in the right direction, after a long and unsettling year. As for the mystery stone, I'd bought it a few years ago from an African rough dealer (via the auction portion of Terry Hennings' site), andthe rough's owner had thought it was a Merelani "Mint" garnet, but its inclusions didn't remind me of any I'd ever seen in that material, and the two or three small fractures leading into it from its skin led me to wonder if it might not have been one helluva monster Demantoid, with the laser-like reds that were refracting off of them.

Re: Mystery material

2008-09-03T12:39:48Z

Doug:
Welcome back and may your progress continue! I'm sure it's just not
happening fast enough for you, but hang in there.
I got that same type of smell from several Montana sapphires I've cut in
the past year. They were sold to me up there as Cottonwood stones, but
the same seller also had Gem Mountain rough, so who knows.

Re: Mystery material

2008-09-02T20:51:43Z

First and foremost, it's EXCELLENT to hear from you and that things seem to be moving in a positive direction.

Doug, once in a while, I get that smell from sphalerite. It is zinc sulphide, I believe. Could that be it? Of course, sphalerite is very soft.....

Sphene? Color fits.....

Can you get a SG?

Hearts & Arrows Ideal cut

2008-09-02T17:19:17Z

Someone asked about a diagram showing the angles and depth or width percentages relating to the H&A Ideal cut or AGS O Ideal cut. Here's the diagram....
Wayne

Mystery material

2008-08-31T20:28:26Z

Folks,

I'm scratching my head over this one, and wonder if any of you has encountered such a material before... I'm in the midst of cutting a natural material that looks a bit like a yellowish hybrid of mint garnet and AZ peridot, appears to have an extremely high RI (judging from the intensity of both the reflections off the material's surface and the 'iris' color palette refracting off of one of the internal fractures), has a hardness somewhere around 7.5-8, and contains numerous parallel needle inclusions, arrayed in parallel veils (like the silk in some of the Mambilla sapphires). The kicker -- and maybe "fingerprint" -- of it is the sulfur dioxide "rotten egg" smell coming off of it, as I cut. Any ideas?

Re: BOG and GemCad

2008-08-29T12:51:26Z

John,
I have been thinking the same thing about the left hand. I am actually
giving it a try. Very slow but I might get better. I did go to a sports
medicine doctor and he pumped
the right shoulder full of cortisone so it doesn't hurt as much anymore. I
did ask him about faceting. I had to explain what it was and he said any

Re: BOG and GemCad

2008-08-28T22:39:32Z

Hi Dan,
You now have an opportunity to learn to cut with the other hand :-)
which is not a bad thing to know how to do.
As far as the lap goes, look into a Turbofan A5 lap for materials softer
than corundum. I find that I am using mine more and more lately.
Good luck with the shoulder.
John Campbell

Re: BOG and GemCad

2008-08-27T00:21:05Z

Wayne,

I hope you knw I was just kidding abourt your shirt but the 'King of
Moire' was a nice play on words.

Thanks for your advise. At least I know I am in the ballpark. I figure
if I cannot cut until my shoulder gets better I can at least learn
GemCad and BOG better.

A problem I have and I am sure many other novice faceters have is that

Re: BOG and GemCad

2008-08-26T18:58:34Z

Hi Dan!

Moire patterns, ha, ha! The fact is that I thought the setup was just a practice run. I did not produce the video, it was a friend (Brad Simon) who was doing it to promote his own business interests. We were running out of time, so he used it! Oh, well......you should see my OTHER shirts!!

Stone Setting

2008-08-26T01:43:23Z

Hey all,
Just in case you're interesting in learning to set stones, ebay item 290255945521
Both of Blaine Lewis' dvd's with all included burs, ring blanks, etc. Brand new condition.
Craig

BOG and GemCad

2008-08-26T00:35:01Z

I first guess an introduction is in order. My name is Dan Williamson
and I live in San Diego. I am an amateur compared to most of the
people on the list. I only got my GM2 in June. I bought from John
Franke. He has been a terrific tutor.I have only cut about 10 gems on
it. I have been lurking on the list. I travel very extensively on

RE: Tilt

2008-08-24T13:29:03Z

Nah! He like the red stuff from Fac-ette better Danny

_____
Of TheCuttingWo...@cs.com
Sent: 24 August 2008 13:01
To: fac-ette@googlegroups.com; wayne_em...@msn.com

In a message dated 8/23/2008 11:09:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Probably one of the advantages of using wax! (Did I say that?)

Re: Tilt

2008-08-24T12:01:23Z

In a message dated 8/23/2008 11:09:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Yeah...... I'm laughing now...... next thing ya know, Wayne will be ordering
some of that sticky black stuff from Alpha Supply!
Very funny guys!
Roger Dery
Royal Oak MI USA

Re: Tilt

2008-08-24T03:08:41Z

Thanks, Ernie, that makes sense to me. I do not pull the stone back from that second dop, but I sure don't force it, either. I would think that as long as everything gets cured properly, not much movement is going to take place after that.

I guess what was surprising to me was how long final curing continues after just a few hours, giving rise to the possibility of tilting if that crown-side dop is removed too soon. Probably one of the advantages of using wax! (Did I say that?)