gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on May 11, 2020 14:12:19 GMT -5
hummingbirdstones , My only advise is DON'T BUY G.E.!! Our old Kenmore gave out after 25 years so we bought a smaller G.E. side-by-side, planning to leave it with the house when we retired out of state. It keeps things cold O.K. but it's the noisiest appliance imaginable. The valve for the icemaker bangs like a pistol shot, followed by any number of growling, unpleasant mechanical noises that occur at all times of the day and night. And G.E. nags and nags you to change water filters long before they're needed. They overcharged us for the filters we bought, according to a G.E. service man. It looks like we're stuck with the thing for longer than we planned due to CV 19 but I'm paying close attention to this thread to plan for our next refrigerator buy.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,799
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Post by gemfeller on May 10, 2020 12:19:19 GMT -5
It's hard to be sure from an image, but it looks like either sugilite or richterite to me. The two are often found in association, with sugilite trending toward purple and richterite toward blue. The inclusions of matrix are a tip-off to me, as they're somewhat typical of the way some of the material is cut. Stones without matrix grade higher of course. It can be a bear to polish well.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on May 7, 2020 19:02:58 GMT -5
Great pendant and stone Gary. I've never understood the logic behind the commandment: Thou Shalt Not Edit Items For Sale to make them appear the same way as they do in hand. Granted, some jerks boost saturation and contrast to exaggerate and misrepresent the appearance of their items. They are low-lifes and are soon found out.
I want my customers to receive items that appear as close as possible to my sales images. Even with editing that's not always possible due to the technical peculiarities of some cameras and monitors. But that's my goal and I've had only one minor complaint in nearly 20 years of on-line gem/jewelry sales. The complaint came about because I failed to edit a stone image correctly.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,799
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Post by gemfeller on May 5, 2020 16:37:56 GMT -5
Happy times, Scott. I'm envious. I'll bet you two are looking forward to 2027!
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on May 3, 2020 18:59:09 GMT -5
mohs, Yes, the object was to get the ball through the opening in the stone on the wall. Rules said you couldn't use your hands so they batted the heavy thing with their hips, heads, upper arms -- whatever. I think that's why the helmets were important. The Sinagua court didn't have anything like that when I visited and that's another thing that made me suspect it was a religious symbol more than an actual playing court. One more thought. Since the players were held in high regard -- enough so to devote enormous time and effort making their colossal heads -- maybe they were commemorated for religious, not sports, reasons. It's a mystery that tantalizes me. I'd love to know just what the religious connection was, and why losers often died.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on May 3, 2020 15:52:50 GMT -5
There's a restored Sinagua ball court at Wupatki National Monument east of Flagstaff. It seemed smaller than those in Mexico, Guatamala and Belize I've seen pictured in archaeological accounts. I wondered when I was looking at it if it had more of a spiritual, religious symbolism than being intended for actual play.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on May 3, 2020 15:04:07 GMT -5
what most people seem to miss is they are wearing football helmets. I guess American football is older than we thought. It wasn't American football, but it was a ball game. The helmets on the Olmec figures were likely protective gear used in the truly rough game of ball as played by the Olmecs and Maya. The game probably originated with the Olmecs and apparently had deep religious significance -- sometimes the losing time was sacrificed. The ball, made of solid rubber, was close to being a lethal weapon so protective gear was needed just as in American football. www.ancient.eu/article/604/the-ball-game-of-mesoamerica/
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on May 2, 2020 18:53:13 GMT -5
I saw a fascinating Olmec exhibit-- colossal head and all -- some time back at the L.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA). Study of the Olmecs is a passion of mine. They're the foundational Mesoamerican organized culture and the mystery of what preceded them intrigues me. Obviously there were precursor societies but no one I'm aware of has yet put that puzzle together.
As to African origins, theories abound. Some prominent archaeologists dismiss it out of hand, saying there were natives of that appearance, especially from South America. Others make an interesting case for the African theory. I have an article archived that supports the African theory and I'll try to locate and post it.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on May 2, 2020 18:33:50 GMT -5
Love the Pythons. That was John Cleese at his best, though Fawlty Towers was also top-notch.
It reminds me of a trip to Kinsale, Ireland I made with my wife and daughter some years back. We went on a morning stroll and came upon a street named Scilly Walk. Of course, being unabashed Americans, we all launched into our own version of silly walks. We thought we were alone but to our embarrassment found we'd been observed by some of the locals. Fortunately, they thought it was as funny as we did. (Unless they were laughing at silly American tourists).
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on May 2, 2020 1:10:41 GMT -5
Re: Supernova wheels. I cut lots of cabs and I've been very happy with mine. I've had them the better part of 2 years and they still have a lot of life left. They're a bit firmer than DPs so if you like lots of "give" on a wheel's surface you should stick with DP. While many folks seem to hate JB with a passion, I've had satisfactory results dealing with them.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 19, 2020 11:41:10 GMT -5
This is interesting. Gasoline at the town about 9 miles from me is $1.30/gallon. Gas at another small town,30 miles away is now $.72/gallon. That is a huge difference for such a short distance. I also find it interesting that the lower priced gas is from Kwik Trip. NDK traveled to this station a few weeks ago. The Kwik Trip closest to me is at $1.26. Count your blessings. I filled up yesterday here in my part of California at a station that's usually lowest cost. Price: $3.06/gal. That's down from the $3.50-$3.75 price a couple of weeks ago.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 18, 2020 10:57:09 GMT -5
No petrified wood expert here, but I've cut the so-called "Herringbone" Sequoia wood from Hell's Canyon (ID-OR) and opalized sycamore from the now off-limits Badger Pocket find in OR.
Your wood definitely has herringbone patterns and I personally think the adjective is generic, applicable to that pattern no matter where the material was found. It looks a lot like the Hell's Canyon wood but (as far as I can see) it lacks the tiny see-through crystallized vugs, resulting from rot in the original log, that make some of the HC material so popular.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 16, 2020 15:23:32 GMT -5
I prefer not to sell treated cabs but there are occasional exceptions. Due to the Zachery Process I assume all turquoise to be treated except cabs I personally know the history on. Now and then I'll use HXTAL on porous dino bone which greatly improves its beauty and makes it cuttable. I'm scrupulous about noting any treatment when I sell stones. I never -- intentionally -- cut cabs with fractures and either re-cut or discard any that show hidden fractures after cutting.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 12, 2020 14:27:10 GMT -5
Today, and as far as I can see into the future, lunch (and most other meals) will be centered on ham. Since my wife and I are in the "most vulnerable" CV-19 demographic, we're paying a young neighbor to do our grocery shopping.
There was a great sale on my favorite brand of ham early last week and I seized the opportunity. I sent our young shopper on my ham quest and she came back lugging a 20-pounder, the last of that brand available. Oh well...we have a big freezer.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 12, 2020 14:06:49 GMT -5
Looking good! The Charoite is killer. Here's a hint to prevent splitting. Some people doublet it with a very thin backing, usually black in my experience. The backing seems to prevent its tendency to split while cutting. The backing can easily be ground off if the stone is going into an open setting. If it's going to be bezeled just leave it for added strength.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 11, 2020 0:26:07 GMT -5
Happy Birthday Robin. Sorry you had to make your own festive dinner. Next year get Vince into an apron and have him do the cooking.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 11, 2020 0:23:27 GMT -5
Nice work Gary. Funny how our minds are conditioned to see patterns differently. In your second Stone Canyon I see a helmeted Roman Centurion. Great cabs.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 8, 2020 12:25:22 GMT -5
This thread reminds me of an old Steven Crane poem.
A man said to the universe: “Sir, I exist!” “However,” replied the universe, “The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation.”
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,799
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 6, 2020 22:35:09 GMT -5
\ hummingbirdstones , I see only one face -- my BIL's. But sometimes he acts a little Dopey.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 6, 2020 22:31:05 GMT -5
opalpyrexia , Gary, I don't watch that show but the face sure reminds me of my BIL. "Why the long face?" I ask him.
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