Q.
If lapidary is as easy as you indicate on this site, everyone would be
cutting gems,
wouldn't they?
If everyone
knew just how easy it is, yes, there'd be a lot more doing it. What
stops
people is the high cost of equipment (at least $2,000 for a commercial
faceting or
cabbing machine) and the high cost of gem rough (high quality
synthetics represent a fine
alternative to natural
materials).
Q. I can understand the cutting aspect, but
where do you obtain all the gem rough to
cut?
A. That's the easiest part of all. There
are dealers all over the world who'll be glad to
sell you rough and you can
reach them on the Internet.
Q. What's a good cleaner for gemstones that's safe and
efficient? Is ammonia really necessary?
A. Nix on the ammonia: it stinks
heartily and that's about it. Toss the gemstone into a
shot of vodka
(seriously!). Vodka is vegetable based alcohol so it'll do a great jog
cleansing
a crystalline surface while evaporating without stains. You can
then drink the
vodka - and your eye sight will no doubt detect a fantastic
gem improvement.
Q.
Gemcutting sounds like something where
you'd be better served by enlisting the help
of an experienced teacher.
I live too far away from such a resource.
A.
Most gemcutters don't have quick, easy access to instructors either -
which is why
the bulk of American gemcutters are self-taught. I keep
insisting that it's that easy, and
information is easy to come by. There's
the IGS plus an active lapidary
newsletter community,
federations, local clubs, private instructors. Furthermore, many
guys and
gals simply lash up with colleagues on a share-the-info
basis.
Q. I attach gemstone rough to a metal dopstick with
cyanoacrylates (Superglue) and
epoxy, but it's a devil to break down the
matured attachment when I want to remove the
stone. Isn't there an easy
way?
A. There certainly is a simple, safe way
- and it's not the old fashioned method of
soaking in such
dangerous solvents as Acetone, Ketone or one of the other relatively
ugly
chemicals. Use an ancient goldsmith's trick: to protect your stone, wrap
it in a water
saturated folded strip of paper napkin then train a Propane
torch right on the metal
dopstick you want to remove. Hold this
dopstick in pliars (you can heat your fingers up
swiftly and fiercely
otherwise!) and keep a steady breakoff pressure on the
attachment
intersection. In a couple of seconds, the superglue and/or
epoxy will surrender
completely to the heat and the still cool stone will
lift away. Trust the wetted tissue:
veteran goldsmiths even use this
heat sink stunt to solder around pearls.
Q. Wax dopping is such a
coordinated heat and slop method with wood dopsticks. Is
there a
better way?
A. Of course there is. Take
advantage of wax's tendency to cold roll, long a vexing
characteristic to gem
cutters. Just melt some wax, get it to wrap around the wood
dopstick
and then, holding the stick vertically, push the wax glob down flat
against a
cold glass, metal or plastic surface. The wax will still
cling to the wood dowel but the
glob's tip will cold roll out flat
against the chilly surface. Now put superglue on the flat
wax platform and
attach the stone. For removal, heat a knife and cut off the wax and
the
superglue - or, better yet, place the dopstick-stone assembly in
the freezer for a few
minutes (and thus shrink the
attachment).
Q. I'm not certain I can perform lapidary or
even want to. Is there an inexpensive intro?
A. Yes - and get ready for a commercial. I hold the patent on the
easy-to-use
Calibrated Jamb Peg faceting machine. I used to sell the
machines but because they're so
simple to make I'm selling plans on how to
make your own for under $50 and I have a
few motors, electronic motor
controls, etc. left over in my garage if you can't find some
item.
Don't sell this basic little faceting machine short: it'll
do anything - and more - that the
$2,000 to $5,000 machines do. I jamb
peg on my machine exclusively because it's quick,
easy and responsive
without a lot of mechanical controls. Jamb pegs rely on your own
intuitive
feeling about what should be done rather than make you fiddle with
a lot of knobs,
screws, stops, etc.
A. I'm a GG (Graduate Gemologist), a CSM (Certified Supreme Master
gemcutter), rather well
known nationally and internationally as an author
of 30 published full length books, founder-
publisher-editor of
seven magazines in marketing, construction and lapidary, author of more than
40,000 magazine feature articles, the inventor of numerous construction and
gemcutting
devices, patent holder and former manufacturer of the Profacee V
and Calibrated Jamb Peg faceting
machines. With graduate degrees from
Temple and DePaul, I spent two decades in corporate
marketing with GE and
National Dairy Products Corporation and later as a national association
executive. I'm also an award winning author, painter, sculptor, musician,
former college instructor,
computer programmer and speaker who has
addressed lapidary and gemological groups around
the world. I founded the
4,000-member American Society of Gemcutters in the 80s and served more
than
10 years as the editor of its monthly magazine, American Gemcutter.
Among my achievements in gemcutting, I developed various colloidal gem
polishes, grip cutting,
mini polishing disk technology, floor tile diamond
laps, phase faceting, the rapidly spreading
electrophoresis electrical
theory of crystal polishing which makes extensive use of acids as a pH
control.
I've received numerous national and international honors and
in 1987 was awarded one of
the most prestigious awards, the Key
Award, from the American Society of Association Executives,
Washington
DC, naming me that year as the top association executive in the
world.
Poor health forced my abrupt and unwanted
retirement in 1998 and I relocated here to the pleasantries
of the Gulf Coast
of Southwestern Florida where I still write, conduct research, cut in all
disciplines and
make precious, high level jewelry - and, of course, putz on
my computer.
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