Agates From Around The World

Day 102: While my husband and I were both rockhounds, his interest was primarily in faceting and lost-wax casting while I leaned more toward the traditional cabochon-cutting and mineral collecting. We both exhibited at gem shows locally, and frequently gave demonstrations in the art of turning rough rock into finished stones. For display purposes, I created a series of 20 x 30 mm. cabochons of agates from sources around the world. Many of these stones came from locations in Washington; some were ones we collected ourselves. Others represent global sources which have now dried up, and good examples of raw materials such as Parrot-wing and Laguna are now very difficult to find.

For the curious among you, I'll post the varieties shown here.
Top row: Blue lace, Scenic, Royal blue, Crazy lace, Cathedral, Tree, Montana
Row 2: Sunset (v. 1), Calico, Graveyard Point plume (backed), Flame, Purple lace, Green moss, Carnelian
Row 3: India moss, Buckskin, Tube, Sagenite, Anderson Dam, Sea-foam chrysoprase, Fortification
Row 4: Parrot-wing, Chalcedony, Utah, Sunset (v. 2), Mount Rainier plume, Yellow moss, Citron chrysoprase
Row 5: Dendritic, Carnelian, Horse Heaven, Banded with pyrite inclusions, Laguna, Arizona flower, Powell Butte moss

December Blues

Day 71: If you were born in the month of December, you are more fortunate than most when it comes to a selection of birthstones. There are three choices: blue zircon (if your taste runs to faceted stones), turquoise (for a more earthy look) and the classic elegance of lapis lazuli.

I bring this up because a friend just asked me if I could verify that a piece she owns is in fact lapis. I have not seen it yet, but I did advise her that there are a number of imitators (most notably, dyed howlite), but all lack the telltale flecks of pyrite which distinguish much true lapis. Lapis aficionados will argue whether or not pyrite is desirable and to my way of thinking, it's a matter of personal preference. I like it. On the other hand, the stonecutter is more likely to say that good lapis excludes pyrite because it makes it more difficult to grind and polish due to undercutting of the softer material.

I sold my rockhounding gear years ago after deciding that creating cabochons such as these was not worth the hours spent with wet, cold hands, but I kept much of my more valuable rough including a stash of genuine lapis. In any event, I seldom wear jewelry and get more pleasure from seeing the raw minerals in my collection.

Lovely Lapis Lazuli

Day 353: My interest in rocks began at a very early age, and by the time I was nine years old, I had a mineral collection which (to my mother's dismay) covered the top of my dresser. Each specimen was labelled with what I believed it to be (often erroneously) and where I had found it. As I grew to be an adult, I developed an interest in stone-cutting as an adjunct to rockhounding, and was not content to work simply with slabs of agate or pieces of Australian opal. One of my favourite stones was lapis lazuli.

Lapis is somewhat difficult to work. Pyrite inclusions are desirable; veins of quartz are not. Both create problems for the lapidarist in that they are softer or harder than the blue matrix material. I was quite proud of the uniform finish I achieved on this particular stone (a 20 x 30 mm. cab).

Fake lapis abounds in the jewelry market. Most often, it will be blue-dyed howlite. However, although howlite also contains quartz, it never contains the pyrites which typify true lapis.

Metals And Stones

Day 9: The hobby of rockhounding inevitably creates a desire to do more than tumble-polish stones, collect minerals and go on digs. The enthusiastic lapidarist finds himself (or herself) tempted by equipment such as rock saws, grinders and faceting machines. Naturally, the acquisition of one or more of those devices leads to the issue of what to do with your finished gems, and mounting them is the next logical step. Ready-made settings are commonly available for rings and pendants, but some hobbyists take their craftsmanship further and delve into casting or metalsmithing.

You would think that with my penchant for doing tiny needlework and beading that I might have fallen into this art easily, but that was far from the case. In fact, it was my ham-handed husband who painstakingly modelled the most detailed and delicate waxes to be cast in gold. His skill at faceting was amazing, and he spent hours at the machine, an Optivisor entrenched in the wrinkles of his forehead helping him see that the "meets" met at precise angles. On the other hand, I dabbled with silversmithing using pre-made bezels and shanks, soldering the parts together to hold the cabochons I turned out on a polisher. Bruce worked with precious stones: sapphire, tanzanite, garnet, alexandrite and such. I futzed with agates and opals and occasionally a piece of lapis lazuli. Mutt and Jeff we were, or Jack Spratt and his wife, opposite to what you would have expected of us. Bruce's work was elegant and classy, mine clunky and serviceable.

The stones and rings in this photo were all hand-cut save for the brown Linde star sapphire in the top left. All are Bruce's work except the bezel-mounted fire agate set in sterling. That one's mine.