ULTRA TEC VL Classic Machine. Photo by Marc Shapiro Media
The ULTRA TEC is the most accurate machine and I like their ergonomics... The other reason I choose ULTRA TEC is...they’ve been around forever, and they’re going to be around forever.” - Sam Baar
The benefit newcomers enjoy these days is the wide range of educational options for learning how to cut gemstones. With the internet and a more open attitude to exchanging ideas, the greatest challenge is finding the best fit for your learning style.
The good news is that with online or in-person options, you can find the best course to launch your understanding of the craft and hone your techniques using the best machines available.
Above: Hashnu Stones & Gems lapidary studio. Photo courtesy Mark Oros
LEARNING FROM A GEM CUTTING ICON
When many people begin studying faceting, they read the name Mark Oros of Hashnu Gems & Stones so often that it is obvious he is a fixture within the gem-cutting community. What began as a creative project for his entire family turned into a new lifestyle.
One of his endeavors includes teaching the wave of lapidary artists the technical and finer aspects of turning already beautiful rough gemstones into something worthwhile. He believes there is a resurgence similar to what happened in the 1960s and 1970s, when people were notably artistic and creative, along with a renewed interest in the metaphysical aspects of crystals.
"People want to get back in touch with the earth because they are disenfranchised with these institutions," he says. Many look to gem cutting as a business venture, but they need to acquire the knowledge and tools before they embark on such a course of action.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January - February 2025-Ausgabe von Rock&Gem Magazine.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January - February 2025-Ausgabe von Rock&Gem Magazine.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Cleaning & Cracking Géodes, Great and Small
Geodes. From their Latin and Greek origins meaning ‘earth-like,’ the cracking and cleaning of these popular stone eggs is no yolk: those unassuming exteriors can belie wonderful clusters of crystals or banded layers of agate within!
GOLD: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
Has Gold Production Finally Peaked?
The Minerals That Made America
Iron, Copper, Lead & Zinc Transformed the United States Into a Major Industrial Power
THE ORDOVICIAN OCEAN OF ST. LEON, INDIANA
Imagine walking through an area filled with millions of fossils just lying there ready for you to pick up and put in your bucket.
A Ring around the World?
\"Ring around the Rosie, a pocket full of posies. Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down!\" So goes the children's nursery rhyme.
IKONS OF THE MINERAL WORLD
Enjoy the following pages from Ikons of the Mineral World Nature's Finest Art by Wayne A. Thompson, Walter E. Donovan, Robert M. Lavinsky, Wendell E. Wilson and Sandor P. Fuss.
Fascinating Fluorite A Beginner & Collector's Favorite
Should you be found, be it working on your collection or walking around a mineral show, humming the song \"My Favorite Things\" with the mineral name 'Fluorite' worked into the lyrics, many of us collectors would totally understand, and probably join in. If that's not the case, let's see if we can make that happen.
ROMANCING THE RUBY
Few words are as packed with meaning as “ruby.” While the word refers primarily to the legendary red gemstone, it is also the preferred adjective for red colors of extraordinary intensity and purity. Its association with wealth and royalty conjures romantic images of kingdoms that once flourished in such historical ruby sources as Ceylon, Siam, Burma and India.
ROYAL SAHARA JASPER
Royal Sahara Jasper was originally discovered in the early 2000s in Northern Africa in the Sahara Desert. During an excursion to Africa, George and Janet Sechler found a piece of rock on the ground that showed similarities to picture jaspers like Biggs or Deschutes.
CLOUDY DAZE
Cloudy Daze is the Novice Design that was selected for the United States Faceting Guild 2025 gemstone faceting competition.
