khara
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by khara on Jun 29, 2024 15:12:33 GMT -5
Those old timers were lucky to be able to dig some of this material that we can’t get any more of today. But, it almost always became an oval! Maybe they were just too busy digging to think of getting creative with cab shapes? I noticed this a long time ago with our (much less massive) inherited collection. All the cabs and markings on slabs are ovals. We are lucky to be able to cut more creative shapes whenever we want just due to more knowledge in how to set them. I know our grandpa just bought the calibrated pre-made silver prong settings. Once he was done with a cab he just popped it into a ring or pendant frame and was done. He didn’t spend much time on the settings. Thus, many, many, ovals!
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realrockhound
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Chucking leaverite at tweekers
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Post by realrockhound on Jun 29, 2024 16:01:49 GMT -5
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Post by stardiamond on Jun 29, 2024 17:55:08 GMT -5
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tribeunited
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by tribeunited on Jun 29, 2024 18:07:27 GMT -5
oh wow stardiamond, those are not only nearly twins, they are stunning! Would it be ok with you if I tag you when I need an ID to differentiate between the two? I'll try to keep it to a minimum, but from the posts I've read you seem to really know the difference.
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realrockhound
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Chucking leaverite at tweekers
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Post by realrockhound on Jun 29, 2024 18:13:03 GMT -5
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Post by stardiamond on Jun 29, 2024 18:15:42 GMT -5
Biggs and a very unusual BB.
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Post by stardiamond on Jun 29, 2024 18:16:22 GMT -5
oh wow stardiamond, those are not only nearly twins, they are stunning! Would it be ok with you if I tag you when I need an ID to differentiate between the two? I'll try to keep it to a minimum, but from the posts I've read you seem to really know the difference. ok to tag, glad to help.
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realrockhound
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Post by realrockhound on Jun 29, 2024 18:17:12 GMT -5
Biggs and a very unusual BB. That one on the bottom. Thats where the biggs and deschutes deposits met
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tribeunited
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by tribeunited on Jun 29, 2024 18:25:48 GMT -5
realrockhound - That's crazy! I can't believe you have the line of demarcation! That's a special one for sure. Somehow through your photos, I gain a greater understanding of the material. It's hard to explain, but seeing the ones you post make it all click into place. Thanks so much! stardiamond - Thank you, I appreciate it! I'll slow my roll and keep it to a minimum or do it all at once so you don't get spammed and regret this decision. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Everyone, you are all the bestest in the westest. Actually that applies to realrockhound, not sure where the rest of you are but you get what I'm saying.
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realrockhound
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Chucking leaverite at tweekers
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Post by realrockhound on Jul 6, 2024 12:40:07 GMT -5
Got this from realrockhounds rock shop. Need to spend some time slabbing more of this crap up. Nice lil example though ![](https://res.cloudinary.com/ddsepewbu/image/upload/v1720287213/IMG_0516_lp2dt1.jpg)
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Jul 6, 2024 13:57:51 GMT -5
Those old timers were lucky to be able to dig some of this material that we can’t get any more of today. But, it almost always became an oval! Maybe they were just too busy digging to think of getting creative with cab shapes? I noticed this a long time ago with our (much less massive) inherited collection. All the cabs and markings on slabs are ovals. We are lucky to be able to cut more creative shapes whenever we want just due to more knowledge in how to set them. I know our grandpa just bought the calibrated pre-made silver prong settings. Once he was done with a cab he just popped it into a ring or pendant frame and was done. He didn’t spend much time on the settings. Thus, many, many, ovals! \ I'm pretty much from that era, and the penalty for getting creative with cab shapes (and I tried!) was being shunned and considered loony. Everyone "knew" the only "acceptable" shapes were ovals, rounds, rectangles, hearts, pear shapes and triangles -- all calibrated to fit the cheapo mountings available then. That's why I taught myself (with the help of books) metal smithing and casting. I was cutting lots of opals and refused to waste precious material by making cookie-cutter shapes. The same bias was true with retail jewelers too -- those were the only "saleable" shapes. Jewelry customers wanted only traditional appearances, in line with fashions set by Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels, etc.
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Post by Pat on Jul 6, 2024 14:05:28 GMT -5
Love Biggs! Thanks to all for the stunning photos.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by khara on Jul 6, 2024 15:53:38 GMT -5
That’s really interesting gemfeller ! 🤣 It makes sense now. So strange how going along with the crowd is so important. I’m glad you tried new shapes, and as a result learned an additional skill. We have some great cabs made back in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, all trapped inside those tacky manufactured bezel with prong settings. They will be removed some day and given a worthy setting, with the exception of a few kept for posterity, so as to not forget!
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realrockhound
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Post by realrockhound on Jul 6, 2024 16:02:56 GMT -5
Those old timers were lucky to be able to dig some of this material that we can’t get any more of today. But, it almost always became an oval! Maybe they were just too busy digging to think of getting creative with cab shapes? I noticed this a long time ago with our (much less massive) inherited collection. All the cabs and markings on slabs are ovals. We are lucky to be able to cut more creative shapes whenever we want just due to more knowledge in how to set them. I know our grandpa just bought the calibrated pre-made silver prong settings. Once he was done with a cab he just popped it into a ring or pendant frame and was done. He didn’t spend much time on the settings. Thus, many, many, ovals! \ I'm pretty much from that era, and the penalty for getting creative with cab shapes (and I tried!) was being shunned and considered loony. Everyone "knew" the only "acceptable" shapes were ovals, rounds, rectangles, hearts, pear shapes and triangles -- all calibrated to fit the cheapo mountings available then. That's why I taught myself (with the help of books) metal smithing and casting. I was cutting lots of opals and refused to waste precious material by making cookie-cutter shapes. The same bias was true with retail jewelers too -- those were the only "saleable" shapes. Jewelry customers wanted only traditional appearances, in line with fashions set by Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels, etc. Yup. All my grandpas cabs were oval or circles.
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tribeunited
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by tribeunited on Jul 6, 2024 16:06:16 GMT -5
khara - it's funny that you mentioned that manufactured prong bezel - I inherited a bunch of those as well. I donated them to someone I know who is just starting to make jewelry, she loved them! I think the oval stencils are good for beginners for sure. The people on this forum are all next level, so I can see not wanting to be constrained when creating. I like getting the jewelers perspective. Thanks for your comments gemfeller - I'm glad you went "loony" and got creative. That's awesome. You can say you paved the way for the whippersnappers getting nutty with it now. Nothing wrong with being touched with the dull end of the crazy stick in my book. I like nutty people, they are fun, they make fantastic artists and are usually a lot of fun!
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by khara on Jul 6, 2024 16:55:34 GMT -5
tribeunited I agree, those settings are great for beginners or people who just want to cab only and don’t have other tools or materials. I actually bought some of those way early on. I bought silver ones though, probably silver plated, trying to have something fairly nice. This was way before the internet exploded with tutorials and the hobby became much more accessible. I had had ideas in my head about silversmithed settings but there was just no info, not even really any books, and certainly no access to the tools, no internet shopping and such. So I figured the bezel prong settings would give me a way to make instant jewelry and didn’t really know what else to do. Years went by and by the time I was finally cabbing, the internet was alive, and I never even touched those settings. I had finally found what I really wanted to do and began learning metalsmithing.
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tribeunited
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by tribeunited on Jul 6, 2024 17:00:37 GMT -5
khara - Would you be willing to show me your smithing work? I'm dying to see... Thank you ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by khara on Jul 6, 2024 18:00:48 GMT -5
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
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Member since September 2022
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Post by khara on Jul 6, 2024 18:10:08 GMT -5
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tribeunited
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by tribeunited on Jul 6, 2024 18:14:19 GMT -5
khara - ooohhhhh! awesome, thank you! I didn't look at the traveling box thread before, I thought it was a post about boxes LOL All of it is excellent and artsy, but my favorite so far is the ring. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) It's simple and perfect. Nice ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Have a good day at work ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Looking forward to more at a later date.
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