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Thread: Charoite's mineral collecting chat.

  1. #16 | Top
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    Quote Originally Posted by domer76 View Post
    Fascinating hobby.

    One of my dad’s cousins was a high school science teacher and had quite the collection. When he died, I heard he had donated it, but I can’t recall where. Possibly the local university.
    I've been a rock collector since I was in maybe the 5th grade. I'm a Michigander and had an eagle eye for the state stone, the Petoskey Stone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petoskey_stone Mom still has a jar of the ones I picked up. I don't have access to search mines, etc, so I end up bidding on specimens online.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Charoite View Post
    I've been a rock collector since I was in maybe the 5th grade. I'm a Michigander and had an eagle eye for the state stone, the Petoskey Stone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petoskey_stone Mom still has a jar of the ones I picked up. I don't have access to search mines, etc, so I end up bidding on specimens online.
    Very cool. A hobby with a mixture of science and beauty. Thanks for sharing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThatOwlWoman View Post
    Gorgeous! I've used some of these gemstones in jewelry making. Tourmaline is one of my favorites.
    Are you very good at it? Do you use prepared stone or prepare it yourself?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Charoite View Post
    Are you very good at it? Do you use prepared stone or prepare it yourself?
    I haven't made the wire/metal jewelry in a couple of years, but yeah, I did okay. I use purchased stones. Have often thought how cool it would be to find raw ones and cut and polish them though. Maybe I could use Mr. Owl's casings tumbler.... hahahaha.

    A few examples:

    Birds nest earrings



    Tree of life necklace



    The last few years I've been doing mainly beadwork.





    "Conservatism is the blind and fear-filled worship of dead radicals." -- Mark Twain

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThatOwlWoman View Post
    I haven't made the wire/metal jewelry in a couple of years, but yeah, I did okay. I use purchased stones. Have often thought how cool it would be to find raw ones and cut and polish them though. Maybe I could use Mr. Owl's casings tumbler.... hahahaha.

    A few examples:

    Birds nest earrings



    Tree of life necklace



    The last few years I've been doing mainly beadwork.





    For the home jeweler those seem nice. If you ever find a way to get some sterling silver in the mix, people pay good money. Of, course, that also means that you are as well.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Charoite View Post
    For the home jeweler those seem nice. If you ever find a way to get some sterling silver in the mix, people pay good money. Of, course, that also means that you are as well.
    Thanks. I think. lol

    I do have some sterling silver and have made pieces from it as gifts. Unless you own a jewelry store though it is hard to sell your hand-crafted pieces. I've sold on Etsy, Ebay, craft fairs, the STL Pagan Picnic (did great there), even home sales (set up like a garage sale with signs in the 'hood, tables, booths, etc.) People seem to think if it's hand-made it should be better quality but lower priced than store items. I have seen people walk right by our booth with our (my friend and I) fabulous hand-crafted stuff and go right to a table filled with cheap Chinese jewelry crap selling for less than ours. Important vendor tip: Always get the spot next to the Empanada Guy's booth... tons of traffic! lol
    "Conservatism is the blind and fear-filled worship of dead radicals." -- Mark Twain

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThatOwlWoman View Post
    Thanks. I think. lol

    I do have some sterling silver and have made pieces from it as gifts. Unless you own a jewelry store though it is hard to sell your hand-crafted pieces. I've sold on Etsy, Ebay, craft fairs, the STL Pagan Picnic (did great there), even home sales (set up like a garage sale with signs in the 'hood, tables, booths, etc.) People seem to think if it's hand-made it should be better quality but lower priced than store items. I have seen people walk right by our booth with our (my friend and I) fabulous hand-crafted stuff and go right to a table filled with cheap Chinese jewelry crap selling for less than ours. Important vendor tip: Always get the spot next to the Empanada Guy's booth... tons of traffic! lol
    Don't worry, it's a compliment. You just don't have the expensive tools of the trade to up the game. No hobby jeweler would. Only worth the investments if it's much greater than a hobby. I have an affinity to cast pendants myself like the dragon one I showed you.

    It's all marketing and aesthetics basically, the crap being sold by a jeweler will make more sales than a hobbiest. The average person doesn't see quality and if it's real, they just gravitate to luster. They are the ones that often end up with fake stones.

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    Do you have any star garnet. My state’s gemstone. Idaho. Apparently, they are not found anywhere else except India

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    Quote Originally Posted by domer76 View Post
    Do you have any star garnet. My state’s gemstone. Idaho. Apparently, they are not found anywhere else except India
    You don't find those selling as roughs that often since they are mostly carved up for jewelry. They are found in both India and Idaho apparently. That means they must be formed in very specific conditions.

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    Found a person selling gem specimens at bid on ebay. I only bought one to test the waters with it being from Pakistan. They are very well known for their gemstones there. They have some of the finest Aquamarine around from what I've read. I went for something cheaper though and am very satisfied with it. It was a type of Kunzite native to the area, and looks like it was meticulously dug out with simple tools. Happy enough with them I went and put a bid on a small Aquamarine. If all goes well I'm going to consider purchasing a larger specimen after I save for it. Here's a pic of what I'd save for.


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    I can't believe the steal I got, I paid about $21 for a large Kambaba Jasper sphere. They showed up and there were two of them. I thought the bid was just for one by the wording. I guess it explains two in the photo. Seems someone was clearing out store real-estate. These things are basically rock cannonballs and I've been looking where to keep them. Here's the pic.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Charoite View Post
    Amazonite with smokey quartz.

    That is really beautiful.


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    Caribbean calcite sphere.


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    Just obtained this neat green opal.


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    My so gifted me a gemstone globe; every country is made from a different gemstone.

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