I don't know if anyone else has done gem cutting, but it is a pretty easy hobby to pick up. There are high speed laps that sell for <$100. The rough is not expensive to source and there is an...
I don't know if anyone else has done gem cutting, but it is a pretty easy hobby to pick up. There are high speed laps that sell for <$100. The rough is not expensive to source and there is an excellent free software package, GemCAD, by Robert Strickland, who made this beautiful program, retired, and now gives it away for free, asking only that you make a charitable contributions or reach out to say thanks.
I thought about it but couldn't figure out which machines are drop ship garbage and which ones are legit. Do you still have links on those <$100 machines? I'd be happy with even just beach pebbles...
I thought about it but couldn't figure out which machines are drop ship garbage and which ones are legit. Do you still have links on those <$100 machines? I'd be happy with even just beach pebbles prettied up, or cut up some of those garnets I hounded years ago
It looks like I was wrong. The price is ~$280 and it's here at Walmart but you can also find it at Amazon or eBay. However, I use one and it works. I cut a piece of rose quartz into a gem and got...
It looks like I was wrong. The price is ~$280 and it's here at Walmart but you can also find it at Amazon or eBay.
However, I use one and it works. I cut a piece of rose quartz into a gem and got it set in a pendant setting that I designed and had made in sterling silver on CraftCloud. I've also used that thing to polish countless other samples for work. The thing is a tank.
Still not terrible price but now we're in unbranded random drop ship machinery territory and I get nervous for anything above $100. But thanks I'll mentally adjust the pricing if I come across a...
Still not terrible price but now we're in unbranded random drop ship machinery territory and I get nervous for anything above $100. But thanks I'll mentally adjust the pricing if I come across a used lapidary from a retiring hobbyist
To be fair for screwing around in a hobby that's not the worst starting point when branded well known machinery is just wildly out of price range. If you're not looking to make professional grade...
To be fair for screwing around in a hobby that's not the worst starting point when branded well known machinery is just wildly out of price range.
If you're not looking to make professional grade work it's probably fine. The core device on these things isn't that complex, so it's not the sort of thing that I think needs extremely fine tolerances or it's just going to break in 6 weeks.
I will say: we have subjected our machine, the twin of the one from Walmart, to considerable abuse and it continues to function without complaint or defect. We use it for routine sample polishing...
I will say: we have subjected our machine, the twin of the one from Walmart, to considerable abuse and it continues to function without complaint or defect. We use it for routine sample polishing — mostly round flats of stainless steel technical ceramics and the like — literally hundreds of samples over the course of three years, with long stretches sitting idle, no cleaning to speak of, and occasional misuse and never has it needed repair to speak of.
The only two things I don't like are that (1) it doesn't have a speed control, which would be nice with some kinds of lapping materials and (2) it has a smallish lapping surface, so it's easy to goof up surfaces on large pieces when you are handling said pieces with your hand.
But if you want nice things, you gotta pay and our lab is less Black Mesa and more Aperture Science, so we make due with the cheap stuff.
Seems a bit outdated. Lab gems have completely cannibalized the market. When one carat D VS1 lab that are completely indistinguishable (by human eyes) from minerals are well under $200 USD, only a...
Remember, even a small one is worth thousands.
Seems a bit outdated. Lab gems have completely cannibalized the market. When one carat D VS1 lab that are completely indistinguishable (by human eyes) from minerals are well under $200 USD, only a fool would be buying so called "natural" for about $1000-2000ish -- 1 ct aren't small, and no way smaller ones go for thousands anymore. Maybe if one insists on a De Beers brand but that's not the price of gem that's the price of marketing.
The author is from Sarat , they said, so there's probably some sentimentality involved here which is understandable.
it'll be wild if they figure out how to get them to pass the reflectance meters. I'm no expert, but I'm not even sure thermal is a good test anymore. I'm thinking about selling an accessory --...
it'll be wild if they figure out how to get them to pass the reflectance meters. I'm no expert, but I'm not even sure thermal is a good test anymore.
I'm thinking about selling an accessory -- some will have diamonds. I'm thinking of going all lab for it, purely to keep the cost down... which might not matter for what I'm selling (i know this is terribly vague.)
the lab diamonds just look great and avoid all of that ugly shit. DB is so sketchy too.
I remember going to a jeweler he showed me a lab and a mineral and there's no difference whatsoever -- there's more in a direct comparison between two minerals of different colour or clarity . For...
I remember going to a jeweler he showed me a lab and a mineral and there's no difference whatsoever -- there's more in a direct comparison between two minerals of different colour or clarity . For an accessory piece of any type that doesn't require a microscope, I would personally use a moissanite for the extra fire and sparkle over a diamond.
If you're selling multiple pieces maybe consider moissanite options . Over at /r/LabGroupSales the sellers always offer pieces in silver, different k gold, moissanite other lab gems so there's a price range for the same piece.
moissanite is great and will most likely be what I go for. This is such a niche product, I can't imagine selling a lot of them... but they'll be perfect if I can figure it all out.
moissanite is great and will most likely be what I go for. This is such a niche product, I can't imagine selling a lot of them... but they'll be perfect if I can figure it all out.
I don't know if anyone else has done gem cutting, but it is a pretty easy hobby to pick up. There are high speed laps that sell for <$100. The rough is not expensive to source and there is an excellent free software package, GemCAD, by Robert Strickland, who made this beautiful program, retired, and now gives it away for free, asking only that you make a charitable contributions or reach out to say thanks.
I thought about it but couldn't figure out which machines are drop ship garbage and which ones are legit. Do you still have links on those <$100 machines? I'd be happy with even just beach pebbles prettied up, or cut up some of those garnets I hounded years ago
It looks like I was wrong. The price is ~$280 and it's here at Walmart but you can also find it at Amazon or eBay.
However, I use one and it works. I cut a piece of rose quartz into a gem and got it set in a pendant setting that I designed and had made in sterling silver on CraftCloud. I've also used that thing to polish countless other samples for work. The thing is a tank.
Still not terrible price but now we're in unbranded random drop ship machinery territory and I get nervous for anything above $100. But thanks I'll mentally adjust the pricing if I come across a used lapidary from a retiring hobbyist
To be fair for screwing around in a hobby that's not the worst starting point when branded well known machinery is just wildly out of price range.
If you're not looking to make professional grade work it's probably fine. The core device on these things isn't that complex, so it's not the sort of thing that I think needs extremely fine tolerances or it's just going to break in 6 weeks.
I'm okay with amateur hour potato quality, but less okay with machine stop working after two uses
I will say: we have subjected our machine, the twin of the one from Walmart, to considerable abuse and it continues to function without complaint or defect. We use it for routine sample polishing — mostly round flats of stainless steel technical ceramics and the like — literally hundreds of samples over the course of three years, with long stretches sitting idle, no cleaning to speak of, and occasional misuse and never has it needed repair to speak of.
The only two things I don't like are that (1) it doesn't have a speed control, which would be nice with some kinds of lapping materials and (2) it has a smallish lapping surface, so it's easy to goof up surfaces on large pieces when you are handling said pieces with your hand.
But if you want nice things, you gotta pay and our lab is less Black Mesa and more Aperture Science, so we make due with the cheap stuff.
This is reassuring, very tempted now
Do not tempt me into another hobby! :-)
Seems a bit outdated. Lab gems have completely cannibalized the market. When one carat D VS1 lab that are completely indistinguishable (by human eyes) from minerals are well under $200 USD, only a fool would be buying so called "natural" for about $1000-2000ish -- 1 ct aren't small, and no way smaller ones go for thousands anymore. Maybe if one insists on a De Beers brand but that's not the price of gem that's the price of marketing.
The author is from Sarat , they said, so there's probably some sentimentality involved here which is understandable.
it'll be wild if they figure out how to get them to pass the reflectance meters. I'm no expert, but I'm not even sure thermal is a good test anymore.
I'm thinking about selling an accessory -- some will have diamonds. I'm thinking of going all lab for it, purely to keep the cost down... which might not matter for what I'm selling (i know this is terribly vague.)
the lab diamonds just look great and avoid all of that ugly shit. DB is so sketchy too.
I remember going to a jeweler he showed me a lab and a mineral and there's no difference whatsoever -- there's more in a direct comparison between two minerals of different colour or clarity . For an accessory piece of any type that doesn't require a microscope, I would personally use a moissanite for the extra fire and sparkle over a diamond.
If you're selling multiple pieces maybe consider moissanite options . Over at /r/LabGroupSales the sellers always offer pieces in silver, different k gold, moissanite other lab gems so there's a price range for the same piece.
moissanite is great and will most likely be what I go for. This is such a niche product, I can't imagine selling a lot of them... but they'll be perfect if I can figure it all out.