Nice work sky, and videos can be uploaded here if you upload them to youtube first. Once uploaded there you place only the number of the video from the link, between the youtube brackets in a post here.
Here's an example using a YT video I posted in the humour thread the other day. You want to remove all the numbers and letters right after the v= , so from the full link that looks like this:
You would only use this part between the YT brackets.
[youtube] 1AE_hjOLDtU [/youtube] (spaces added so it won't post the video here)
If you need any help I'm usually in the chat room off and on all day, but you have to type a message so I'll see a number come up in the tab if no one came in to chat, and give me time to notice it.
PinkDiamond ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) ((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:- -:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
I've been keeping at it, going really slow on my best piece of matrix so far. And re-treating a bunch as well. Sometimes they need two "final" treatments, dunno why. Matrix density and porosity I'm guessing, but thats just a guess. Also, on a humor/humourous side: I've been looking for a wire wrapping person, to do a few (couple dozen) pieces. I've found it hard to find someone who can do elegant, simple, professional, not too many flourishes wire wrapping that makes the stone the center of attention. Plenty of quality wire wrappers out there, but because they ARE talented I think the tendency is to subconciously make the wire wrapping the center of attention, and not the other way around like I want. The humorous side of this is that I can now actually identify numerous wire wrapping styles. They include: Hippie (60's not modern day) Hippie (modern day) Flower Child (not hippie or modern hippie) Zen Industrial Heavy metal (related to the music bands) Steampunk Western (as in Cowboy, US) SouthWestern (as in SouthWest US) Arts and Crafts There has got to be many more, but these are just off the top of my head...lol... NOT NOT NOT trying to denigrate or make fun of any particular style either, just noting that they do exist. And these are just in the US. No idea about Australia, but I'd bet they have several of their own styles too.
LOL! I had no idea there were so many different 'official' names for styles of wire wrapping, and I bet you're right, there are many more worldwide, but I reckon a lot of them are the same techniques going by different names.
Since this thread is all on sugar treated opals I thought I'd show you one I bought about 15 years ago to have a sample of the sugaring process on hand when I was studying to be a gemologist. It's a small sugar treated Andamooka that's only .36ct, and 6.97x5.13x1.63mm, and it's got clouds in it that look like they're floating over a nebula.
SugaredAndamooka.36ct-6.97x5.13x1.63.JPG (42.8 KiB) Viewed 4347 times
SugaredAndamooka.36ct-6.97x5.13x1.63e.JPG .JPG (33.28 KiB) Viewed 4347 times
PinkDiamond ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) ((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:- -:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
Well, that is one nice matrix opal! Pretty much has all the colors too, nice! Do you know which method was used to polish it? I mean like cerium or tin oxide, or maybe diamond paste? Anyways, to have a bright flash nearly dead center top like that is pretty good.
Try Scott Ryals. The GemDealer on ESTY. He does fine work. Thats the gem silica I have claims on. https://www.etsy.com/shop/thegemdealer? ... ile_header His prices are down in the listing for custom work. Shoot him an email with the numbers or what exactly you have. Hell get back with an estimate. I have several of his pieces in my jewellery cases & they are always commented on. He 's got a great store to browse
He's very talented, and his work shows off the gems beautifully. That's a good lead for anyone who wants wire wrapping done on a gem. I'll have to make note of him myself, so thanks for the tip.
PinkDiamond ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) ((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:- -:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
Scott was good enough to reply fairly quickly, but said that he generally does not set other peoples stones. He did say he had tried it in the past but apparently ran into too many problems. OK then. So, I'll be contacting some more local people, and maybe finding new and interesting wire wrapping styles too. And working on the matrix opal. I gotta take a break after 6-8 more. I mean, the solution is to stop buying rough matrix opal. Yeah, I know, I could just stock pile it for later, but if I have it, I pretty much have to schedule it to make something...lol... Kind of different, but I have no problem stocking up on Coober Pedy, or Lightning Ridge solid opal rough...
So on to the next matrix opal. This one, before doing anything with it, is my favorite. Well, they're ALL my favorites...lol I thought maybe somebody has not seen a matrix opal before its been shaped and polished. So, here is one. Its a brownish rock, that shows just a bit of color. The pencil line divides the great color side, and the not very much color side. I'm gonna slice it along that line.
So, I DID slice it along that pencil line, and here are the results. A good side (gonna work that first), and a "I can barely see any color side" that I'll do something with later. Both sides have color but one just jumps out at me. OK, its not polished, but it is wet, and thats when you can begin to see some pretty good color. Blue and red in this instance. Didn't have any water handy, so I just did the traditional wetting technique...lol... It will be a coupla days before I get to layout and sanding/grinding on this one. My shop/garage is pretty hot and sweaty this time of year and is limiting as to how many hours I can spend in there. Especially with the hand sanding. Don't know what this will make yet, but if I have any style at all, it tends toward slightly flawed, big, and beautiful. We'll see.
