“Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground.” ~ Talking Heads

The answer lies in (among other places) the lyrics of the 1970’s art rock band, Talking Heads: Water.

Rock Tumbling Blow Up

Rock tumbling began millions of years ago, as waves and streams tumbled Earth’s first sediments. Over time, the more ingenious of our ancestors discerned how such natural processes shaped and smoothed some rocks more than others. Moving water became the first “rock tumbler.”  

For thousands of years we have respected the power of water but only recently has science explained how something so benign and malleable can wear away stone.

In April 2022, a first-of-its-kind study, led by University of Minnesota-Twin Cities researchers, announced it had taken a closer look at how water erodes hard surfaces and concluded that tiny droplets behave like miniature bombs. 

“There are similar sayings in Eastern and Western cultures that ‘dripping water hollows out stone,’” said Xiang Cheng, senior author of the research paper and associate professor at the University of Minnesota Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. 

“Such sayings intend to teach a moral lesson: ‘Even if you are weak if you do something continuously, you will make an impact.’ But when you have something so soft as droplets hitting something so hard as rocks, you cannot help wondering, ‘Why does the drop impact cause damage?’ That question motivated our research.”

Their discovery, published in Nature Communications, outlined how a new technique called high-speed stress microscopy measured the force, stress, and pressure underneath liquid drops as they hit a surface. They found that the force exerted by a droplet spreads out with the impacting drop instead of concentrating in the center of the droplet, briefly exceeding the speed of sound as it spreads and creating a miniature “shock wave” across an impacted surface.

“Each droplet,” the team noted, “behaves like a small bomb, releasing its impact energy explosively and giving it the force necessary to erode surfaces over time.” 

And to think, all those micro-bombs were organically exploding as Egyptian slaves slushed rough-hewn rocks, for months at a time, in troughs filled with sand and water. Or, as Indian lapidaries rolled goat skin polishing bags filled with water and grit along the ground, or shook jars of water, abrasives, and pre-cut beads up and down on pre-tumbler “teeter-totter” boards. 

Rock Tumbling Glow Up

That said, not every type of stone is up to the task of enduring microscopic bombings in pursuit of that perfect shine.

“We were the first in the area to carry raw stones because it was growing more popular. People want to tumble their stones,” says Christine Seebold, evidential medium and owner of the Mind Body Spirit Center, with locations in Albany, Clifton Park, and Saratoga Springs, New York. 

“We try to give everyone a variety of stones to try, plus we do a rock tumbling kit for kids, which includes two dozen of the best basic choices.”

What makes the best basic choice? A great place to start is at that tried and true standard established in 1812 by German mineralogist, Friedrich Mohs. He chose 10 different minerals of varying degrees of hardness and assigned them a score of one (softest) to 10 (hardest). 

The ideal Mohs scale of hardness for rock tumbling success is between five to seven. One of the tumbling’s easiest tips to remember is ‘seven days for a hardness of seven,’ and standard rock tumbling instructions are generally based on material with a Mohs hardness of about seven (including agate, chalcedony, jasper, quartz, and petrified wood).

In Why Mohs Hardness Is Important, Hobart M. King of Rocktumbler.com wrote, that if you are tumbling a rough with a hardness of six, it will not take as long to shape and smooth as a rough with a hardness of seven. “Our opinion is that you can reduce the number of tumbling days by about one-and-a-half days for every degree of hardness under seven.”

Agate, Chalcedony, and Jasper, Oh Mohs!

Quartz is the benchmark mineral for a seven on the Mohs Hardness Scale and standing toe to toe with it is another top choice for tumbling, chalcedony. 

Don’t let its occasional delicate transparency and a wide variety of hues (thanks to impurities in an otherwise colorless state) fool you. Chalcedony can roll with the best of them and is the generic name for any kind of microcrystalline quartz, although its white and blue forms are most often referred to as chalcedony. (Fun fact: it’s also the “flint” used in ancient tools and weaponry.) 

Agate and jasper are varieties of chalcedony. All are colorful, durable, inexpensive, and deliver a satisfying luster after tumbling. An easy way to remember one from the other is that agate is any type of chalcedony that is translucent; jasper is chalcedony that is opaque, thanks to a greater degree of impurities mixed with its silica/quartz. Agate and jasper can form in the same volcanic environment so it’s not uncommon for a single rock to contain both translucent (agate) and opaque (jasper) portions.

Polished agate as ornamentation dates back to the Bronze Age (3300 BCE – 1300 B.C.) in Asia, and third-century B.C. Greece, it derived its name from naturalist Theophrastus, who named agate after the Sicilian shoreline of the Achates River where he found the stones. Popular agates include descriptive lace and moss agates, turritella (including petrified wood), and iridescent fire agate.

Varieties of jasper include imperial (green), the rarest — according to writer and rock seeker Jeremy Hall — so be sure of what you’re buying; brecciated (colorful red and yellow nodules); the dreamlike landscape; poppy, named for its distinctive tiny “blooms,” and ocean, found only at low tide in Madagascar.

Other types of chalcedony to consider for tumbling are aventurine, whose tiny inclusions look like shimmering flakes; carnelian and heliotrope (aka “bloodstone”); blue (Mt. Airy Blues or Mohave) or slightly lavender chalcedony, known as holly blue and found only in Oregon; and since the organic matter in petrified wood is often replaced by (opaque) chalcedony, it can technically be classified as jasper (and tumbles at roughly the same rate, four to five weeks, as agate or jasper).

Christine says other rocks her collectors love to tumble are quartz and tiger’s eye. Tiger’s eye, a crystalline type of quartz, can be polished to a high luster but experienced tumblers warn that tumbling pieces larger than an inch in size can result in “bruising” along the edges of the rocks, caused by quartz-on-quartz impacts inside a tumbling barrel.

Your best prospects are hard, dense, and smooth rocks like those mentioned above; avoid tumbling rocks with a gritty texture or that prove too soft after a “scratch test” (where a mineral, after being scratched by another mineral, will fall on the Mohs Hardness Scale).

Rockin’ Tik Tok

What’s hot in rocks is also being determined by younger, more social voices.

“We have kids come in the store educating their parents,” says Christine. “TikTok videos are teaching a lot of kids about stones and crystals. By the time they come in the store, they already know what they’re looking at and what they want. They say, ‘This way, Mom.’ They already know the stones they want.”

Driving popularity can also drive demand for certain rocks.

“Muldovite,” sighs Christine, citing a recent example of a rock so popular (thanks to TikTok) that it was hard to keep in stock or, from a metaphysical standpoint, align with the right energies.

“This is a really intense stone of transformation and spiritual awakening,” she says of the rare green tektite from the Czech Republic. “I had three people in one week come into my shop asking for it, and when I asked, ‘Are you sure? That’s a strong stone,’ they said, ‘Yes. We saw it on TikTok.’”

She’s not exaggerating. An April 30, 2021 article in Cosmopolitan by Rebekah Harding cited how muldovite, during the pandemic, racked up more than 280 million views on TikTok and its digital spiritual cousin, WitchTok. 

“There’s a neat reason this tektite became one of WitchTok’s biggest and most long-lived trends,” Harding wrote. “Moldavite removes blockages and obstacles on your path toward becoming your highest self. Often in the most chaotic way possible.”

So, muses Christine,  “If you can’t find a certain stone, it might be because it is selling out on TikTok as ‘Stone of the Week!’” 

TikTok trends are a long way from the days of goatskin bags and sand-filled troughs, and yet the attraction we feel for a pretty, shiny stone endures.   

This story about rock tumbling previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by L. A. Sokolowski.

The post Best Rock Tumbling Rocks first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Beginner Wire Gem Tree Designs

Gem trees are all handmade, fashioned one gemstone at a time, creating the enchanting illusion of a tree with leaves and flowers, often to stimulate a zen atmosphere in the home.

Gem trees are frequently an introductory form into the lapidary arts. Simple designs can be executed in a short amount of time with striking results to satisfy a beginner and build their confidence to continue exploring the medium. All that is needed are inexpensive gem materials, pliers, wire, and of course some patience, as with all lapidary work.

Wire Gem Tree Materials

Gem trees are generally created with small, tumble-polished gemstones or beads. Drilled gemstone chips (freeform beads) are inexpensive and commonly used, but rounded and other shapes are also utilized.

Some gem trees are built with one gem variety creating a monochromatic vision, while others incorporate multiple colors and gemstone varieties, creating fanciful objects. Quartz is mainly used, including the favorite amethyst, carnelian, citrine, rose quartz, tiger eye, agate, and jasper. Sodalite, peridot, coral, tourmaline, and amazonite are also used.

Adding Wire Gem Tree Beads and Branches

The beads are threaded onto the wire, while the undrilled stones are glued on the wire branches, usually with #527 Craft glue or epoxy. The wire branches with the gemstones are built one by one and then attached to the trunk. Wire metals include silver, gold-filled, copper, steel, or color-coated steel. Preferably 24-gauge wire or 26-gauge wire is used. Charms may also add character and symbolism.

The larger the gem tree, with more branches and colors, the bigger statement it makes. Choosing the base is also important, typically with a flat bottom. Drusy amethyst geodes, or quartz crystals, are often chosen.

Then the trunk is built up as if it is growing out of the base. The trees’ shape also varies, imitating bonsai trees, which are the Japanese version of miniature ornamental trees in the shape of real-life trees. Wisteria trees with hanging blooming branches, willow, and spruce pine are some of the preferred tree design styles.

Wire Gem Trees on the Market

Commercially, gem trees are offered in sizes from five inches tall to twenty-five inches tall. Many are made and imported from Brazil.

The number of gemstones on those trees ranges from thirty-five for the small ones up to over 700 gemstones for the large ones. Although prices for small trees may start under fifty dollars each, prices for the large ones may reach hundreds of dollars.

Online tutorials offer a place to get started. Gem tree making is a class favorite for beginners at local gem shows and local workshop club facilities.

Karen Bennett’s Gem Trees

Karen Bennett (kbrockn@yahoo.com) is a wonderful jewelry and gem tree artist located in Green Valley, Arizona. She creates beautiful gem trees, which sell out immediately. Karen and her husband had a store in the historic and artistic town of Tubac, Arizona selling rocks, minerals, and her own jewelry.

Karen started making gem trees while trying to find a way to use some of their large inventory of rough peridot, Oregon sunstone, and garnet. Since they were already tumbling stones for the store, it was easy for her to tumble the stones for the gem trees.

“Making the gem trees is very relaxing, and I am always excited to see the finished product,” says Bennett

Karen’s early gem trees were all made with tumbled stones, but as time went by, she decided to use chip beads as well. Karen and her husband also cut and polish the slabs she uses for the bases, in addition to shimmering quartz crystals. Turquoise beads and a slab of petrified wood are another beautiful combination.

The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is a popular gem tree design in everything from visual arts, graphic designs, embroidery, rugs, home décor, and of course, in jewelry. The Tree of Life is made into pendants and earrings in a variety of styles and materials. Some are cast commercially in silver and other metals, while others are one-of-a-kind designs with gemstones.

While gem trees spread out in space, the Tree of Life’s design in jewelry – root and branches – is usually constrained within a circle or other boundary. In both cases, the sprawling branches are designed based on balance and symmetry.

The symbolism of the Tree of Life is embedded in several cultures around the world, each one reflecting its own ideals, meanings, and traditions. Yet, they all have numerous commonalities, one being the sacred life and rebirth connection.

Linda Boronczyk’s Tree of Life Designs

Linda Boronczyk (lindaboronczyk@me.com) is a talented gem and jewelry artist from upstate New York. Linda creates unique jewelry pieces and participates at the Syracuse Gem & Mineral Society show and at other local craft venues. Linda grew up in the country, in New York State, and always appreciated the beauty and peacefulness of trees.

“I admire the strength of two large maple trees and two weeping willow trees in my yard that whisper in the breeze.” Linda continued, “I love the fall when the leaves turn into vibrant colors and look for the one surviving leaf on the tree branches,” said Linda.

It took Linda several days to complete her first Tree of Life. She used emerald, fluorite, and labradorite chip beads. It is designed within an antique frame that measures 7 ¾ inches tall. The piece can be hung on a window like a Native American dream catcher or on the wall.

“As I created my Tree of Life, I thought of the dark green leaves at the base of the branches as the rebirth of life. Starting the new cycle with the changing seasons, I added color to express its beauty and strength,” she said.

Among Linda’s other Tree of Life jewelry creations is a copper-wired gem tree inside a round locket, with smoky quartz and garnet beads, and a tiny Mexican drusy quartz for the root base. She also created a beautiful necklace by redesigning a vintage acrylic necklace and adding a delicate sterling silver Tree of Life around the focal pendant.

Honey Opal Gem Tree

Yellow and fire opals are part of a wide range of lapidary materials classified as opals that do not display the optical phenomenon of play of color. They are known as exotic common opals and come from several locations around the world.

One highly translucent variety of honey opal comes from the Yellow Gem Mine, in Valley County, Idaho. The opal occurs in the host rhyolite rock, through seams and gaps left in an old volcanic neck.

It is often fractured to some degree within the boulders or weathered out. Opal shards are found all over the hill and shine in the sun. The opal breaks off, or splinters easily, thus extreme care is required to chisel out specimens large enough for faceting.

For this beautiful gem tree, they used honey opal chips, which Ellie first screened and grouped by color, and a natural rhyolite and honey opal rock specimen for the base.

The Yellow Gem Mine

Carrie Ellie, or Ellie as she is best known, and her husband Ed own the Yellow Gem Mine (yellowgemmine@gmail.com) together with their partner and mountain neighbor, Scott, a budding lapidary.

They bring out opal specimens a few at a time because the daily trek from their base camp to the mine is about a 700-foot climb. From their camp, the trail back to their vehicle is a ten-mile hike. Ellie noted that bringing out rhyolite with opal rock specimens is hard, as they add a lot of weight to their backpacks.

“Getting to the mine is miserable, often painful, but being there energizes my soul. Finding beautiful honey opal and holding it up to the sun – now that’s something special,” says Carrie.

Occasionally while digging, facet-grade pieces roll whole out of the muck. Some pieces have beautiful black manganese oxide dendrites, shaped like snowflakes or water plants. This interesting opal is found in a striking palette of yellow shades, ranging from lemon to deep yellow, golden, amber, root beer, and a rare few red or striped.

This story about how to make wire gem trees previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Russ Helen Serras-Herman.

The post How to Make Wire Gem Trees first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Rock tumbling is a worldwide sensation. It does not matter the age or geographic area of the participant. I see young and old together looking for rocks to tumble, one just as enamored and excited as the other. Many people live in rural areas or states where there are plenty of materials to find in nature. Yet, many more reside in cities and towns or live in states where there is little or no availability of materials to hunt, so they order online or through catalogs. There is no deterring those who have been bitten by this “rock tumbling” bug. For some, it even seems to be the glue that holds them together.

Through the group Rock Tumblers for Autism, we have identified a new group of rock tumbling fanatics, and we have embarked upon a mission to create new avenues of support and success for them.

I don’t believe I’ve met a kid who is not fascinated with rocks at some stage of their life. Growing up, I spent a lot of time on the shores of rivers and lakes with my dad and my two granddads. We were all avid anglers, or at least I became one as I aged. However, the rocks always called me away from my post at the water’s edge.

Like many others, I have always been fascinated with and wondered about how rocks formed, where they came from, and, most of all, what they might look like “inside.” Of course, they had other uses beyond causing me to dream and wonder. I think, to this day, my dad would cringe if he thought I was going to throw a rock in the water near where he was fishing. Of course, I am not above doing so just to torment him a little.

Rockhounding Runs in the Family

However, back to the topic at hand, what is one to do with all of those rocks? My children have rocks that they picked up when they were toddlers. My oldest is 35, my youngest 14, and we have a plethora of rocks streaming in and out of our lives. Even my oldest son, who is much more a “techie” than an outdoorsman, loves rocks. His grandfather, the person who created my passion for rock tumbling, gave my son a Diamond Pacific MT4 Mini Sonic when he was about ten years old. I still have it in my arsenal and recently ordered a refurb kit for the machine. My daughters, especially my 28-year-old, Elizabeth, always bring me bags of rocks they have picked up, and ask me to add them to my tumbler loads. Elizabeth even hunts one of the local Facebook rock shows on the Hollyewood Ranch page and buys slabs and rough for me to tumble or cut. It is my younger son, though, who changed how I look at rock tumbling, and created a new direction for not just me but also my family and even my friends. Thomas is my 14-year-old son, and he has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

One never knows where inspiration will come. Several years ago, my dad called me from Mississippi and said he and his wife were going to drive out to Oregon for a visit. We had all lived in Ontario, Oregon in the past, and dad had gotten deep into lapidary work. I wanted so badly at the time to work with him, but I had just opened a new business that was struggling to get off the ground, and it took every waking moment to nurse it to full health.

Finally, it did explode into a full-fledged business that led me, again, to involve myself in what was to become a budding passion. Eventually, I would sell the business. During my dad’s visit, he brought 20 years’ worth of rock tumbling and lapidary equipment and dumped it in my garage. Among all of the parts and pieces was a nearly 30-year old Thumler’s UV-18 vibratory tumbler.

Some people might scream, “Eureka! I’ve hit gold.” However, I had never seen a vibratory tumbler and had no clue what to do with it. So, while I tinkered with the CabMate lapidary polisher and a couple of other pieces of ancient equipment from my dad’s arsenal, I started searching Facebook groups for tumbling advice. I’d be remiss if I did not mention those faithful friends and fellows who do their best to share some basic geological information that provides insight for tumbling. However, it was on Facebook that I ran across a group called “Rock Tumbling Hobby Lapidary Discussion.” It became my near-daily devotional and set me on the path that I am traveling now, overseeing “Rock Tumblers for Autism.”

Inspiration Close to Home and Heart

My son wanted to start tumbling, so I got him a Lortone 33A. At the same time, a friend of mine who lives in Oregon as well, whom I have known since we were teens, and also happens to have a son with autism, wanted to start tumbling rocks. Today he is an avid tumbler. To provide a broader picture of my background, I am also a special education teacher. Through my training, I began to make a connection between rock tumbling and people who have autism. Growing up, I also had learning disabilities, and it impacted me a great deal. After school, I spent 30 years as a truck driver, as well as a computer technician, that is, until I decided to take the plunge and attend community college college. Four years later, I had a degree in teaching children who have disabilities. Then I went on to earn my master’s degree in special education with an emphasis on autism. As I was finishing my final year and preparing to graduate, something on the Rock Tumbling Hobby Lapidary group caught my attention. An 8-year-old boy who needed a rock tumbler.

It was the boy’s mother who was searching and explained to our Facebook group that she did not have a tumbler, but wanted both her and her son to connect with people who did. She explained that her son has autism and that his favorite thing in life was tumbling rocks. As a point of reference, some of the typical traits of autism are difficulties regulating sensory input, regulating behavior, and diminished social skills. The mother explained that for her son, the sound of the tumbler and the rocks’ feel was what helped him stay calm and regulated. BAM! It was like a lightning bolt between the eyes. When we gave my son his rock tumbler, we realized that the response was, greater social and emotional regulation.

Taking Action On a Passion

How many of you like to rub your smoothed and polished stones after they come out of the tumbler? Well, imagine that feeling of soothing calm assurance on a much grander scale. Sadly, the mother who approached the group explained that they wanted to stay connected because her son’s old tumbler had “given up the ghost,” and died. That gave me a grand idea.

I went to my wife and told her the story. At the time, I was still in college, as was my wife. We both worked, but we were at the bottom of the food chain at our jobs, so money was a bit tight. However, we wanted to help this mother and son. I sent the mother a private message and asked her if it would be okay to raise funds in order to purchase her son a new rock tumbler. She was ecstatic, and we were off. I asked the permission of the moderator to post the request to the members, and she approved. The response was unbelievable. I posted it to my personal Facebook page as well, and in a week, we were able to purchase a Lorton 33B dual drum tumbler, which we shipped to Montana as a gift to a young man with special needs. He was the first, and he was not the last.

Today we continue to raise funds to buy rock tumblers for kids who have autism. We have shipped units to Montana, Illinois, Utah, and of course, my home state of Oregon. Speaking of Oregon, another of our fundraisers allowed us to purchase a new three-pound tumbler kit for a young man in the town where I live. Alex is a middle teen who has autism and is a bit lower functioning. Can you guess what his favorite thing to do is? You guessed it. He hunts rocks.

We got word through a member of our Facebook group that this young man could benefit from a tumbler. We connected with his parents, raised funds, and met the family at their house to present the tumbler. Alex was so excited about the rocks that he took out his collection box and explained each rock he had. We had such a wonderful time with him that I told my wife I wanted to continue what we were doing.

Valuable Partnerships

There is one additional and important aspect of this effort, and that is Sherman Rowland at High Land Park. After hearing the story of our mission and purchasing his company’s shaping machine, Sherman and I discussed the different uses and benefits, and he informed me of his company’s forthcoming plans to offer a brand of rock tumblers for both the hobbyist and the professional. Highland Park is also known for its high-quality slab saws, sphere machines, and other lapidary equipment. I am excited at the prospect of receiving our first tumblers from them.

Sherman also helped our group regarding promotional efforts and provided advice about other elements. As a result, Rock Tumblers for Autism is now a registered 501(c)(3) charity with nonprofit status under the name CogWheels for Autism and is registered with Amazon Smile. We will be purchasing rotary and vibratory tumblers from Highland Park when they are made available to the public.

While my goal is to present rock tumblers to 100 kids in a year, under the registered charity, we are also expanding into helping purchase specific supports for children with autism that their families cannot afford. The progress is slow, but our fundraising is picking up speed. That progress is due in part to Brad and Hannah at HolleyWood Ranch, Sherman at Highland Park Lapidary, and the support of the rock tumbling and lapidary communities. Also, a local construction company has offered to build our local group a new shop to work out of so that we may expand our efforts.

Autism is the fastest-growing disability among children, and we have a driving passion for giving the children and their families the extra support they need, in many different ways.

Who would have thought a child with a rock would become such an inspiration? There is no experience equal to seeing the excitement on children’s faces when they talk about collecting rocks. Many of my students have brought rocks to me from their beach and river excursions. There is also a depth of joy and relaxation in preparing and tumbling rocks that I have never experienced in any other hobby. I hope to inspire the world to delve into a kind of art that requires no physical talent, but only imagination, a little bit of patience, and the rock tumbler of their choice.

To see what recipients of the gift of rock tumblers are up to, visit the Rock Tumblers for Autism group on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2WFMB4f.

The post Tumbling Talk: Rock Tumbling for Autism first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

By Bob Rush

I have a 40-pound rotary tumbler and two 12-pound rotary units running all the time in my shop. The focus of this on-going effort is to tumble and polish stones for use as part of the “wheels of fortune” attraction at the annual mineral show hosted by The Mother Lode Mineral Society, the club of which I am a member.

I’ll admit, I have a lazy man’s method for handling rock tumbling. I tumble for four to five weeks in 6o grit, followed by four weeks in the polish stage. I tumble slabs and general lapidary rocks for the prizes during our show. We have a rather large population of attendees, so we need quite a few stones for the wheels. As I am emptying the barrels, I always keep an eye out for unique pieces I can use to make cabs.

Recently, I came across a rather striking piece with an unusual pattern. The tumbling action exposed a repetition of small orange marks surrounded by a white border. The marks resemble Chinese writing, which, in my opinion, gave the finished piece an ancient oriental appearance. The rock was rather flat, measuring about four inches across. I know it is a variety of carnelian, but I do not recall when or where I came across the stone, nor do I recall placing it in the tumbler.

As I was visualizing the potential cab that may come from this piece, I had to inspect the slab closely to avoid the obvious fractures on the right and include as much of the pattern as possible. I slabbed it relatively thick at a little over one-quarter inch because I wanted to make the girdle blend over the sides without the pattern so that they would act as a frame around the pattern. Another feature in the pattern that I really liked was a vertical red line that appeared in almost the piece’s entire length. It also helped delineate the edge of the cab.

Kingsley North Tumbling Talk Tip: Maintain barrel fill level at 2/3 to 3/4 full (at all steps, otherwise rocks will lose mass). www.kingsleynorth.com

Although it is not very evident in the photo, some of the orange features have a dark vug in the center. This particular feature didn’t present a problem in fashioning the cabochon, but as expected, the polish did a good job filling the vug. I used my small ultrasonic cleaner to get the polish out, and it only took a few seconds to do it. To get the cleaner to do its best work, I always put the stones in the cleaner immediately after the polishing step, definitely not later after the polish has had time to dry out.

As you can see in the photos, the leftover trim piece was just as attractive as the finished cab. I was quite pleased with the cab’s look, and it came out better than I had expected.

Author: Bob Rush

Bob Rush has worked in lapidary since 1958 and metal work and jewelry since 1972.
He teaches at clubs and Modesto Junior College. Contact him at rocksbob@sbcglobal.net.

 

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The post Unexpected Find Becomes Tumbling Treasure first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

]]> https://www.rockngem.com/unexpected-find-becomes-tumbling-treasure/ Wed, 10 Mar 2021 11:00:38 +0000 https://www.rockngem.com/?p=13579 Editor’s Note: The regular Tumbling Talk is sponsored by Kingsley North, www.kingsleynorth.com.  By Bob Rush I have a 40-pound rotary tumbler and two 12-pound rotary units running all the time in my shop. The focus of this on-going effort is to tumble and polish stones for use as part of the “wheels of fortune” attraction […]

The post Tumbling Talk: Unexpected Find Becomes Tumbling Treasure first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

]]> Editor’s Note: The regular Tumbling Talk is sponsored by Kingsley North, www.kingsleynorth.com. 

By Bob Rush

I have a 40-pound rotary tumbler and two 12-pound rotary units running all the time in my shop. The focus of this on-going effort is to tumble and polish stones for use as part of the “wheels of fortune” attraction at the annual mineral show hosted by The Mother Lode Mineral Society, the club of which I am a member.

I’ll admit, I have a lazy man’s method for handling rock tumbling. I tumble for four to five weeks in 6o grit, followed by four weeks in the polish stage. I tumble slabs and general lapidary rocks for the prizes during our show. We have a rather large population of attendees, so we need quite a few stones for the wheels. As I am emptying the barrels, I always keep an eye out for unique pieces I can use to make cabs.

Recently, I came across a rather striking piece with an unusual pattern. The tumbling action exposed a repetition of small orange marks surrounded by a white border. The marks resemble Chinese writing, which, in my opinion, gave the finished piece an ancient oriental appearance. The rock was rather flat, measuring about four inches across. I know it is a variety of carnelian, but I do not recall when or where I came across the stone, nor do I recall placing it in the tumbler.

As I was visualizing the potential cab that may come from this piece, I had to inspect the slab closely to avoid the obvious fractures on the right and include as much of the pattern as possible. I slabbed it relatively thick at a little over one-quarter inch because I wanted to make the girdle blend over the sides without the pattern so that they would act as a frame around the pattern. Another feature in the pattern that I really liked was a vertical red line that appeared in almost the piece’s entire length. It also helped delineate the edge of the cab.

Kingsley North Tumbling Talk Tip: Maintain barrel fill level at 2/3 to 3/4 full (at all steps, otherwise rocks will lose mass). www.kingsleynorth.com

Although it is not very evident in the photo, some of the orange features have a dark vug in the center. This particular feature didn’t present a problem in fashioning the cabochon, but as expected, the polish did a good job filling the vug. I used my small ultrasonic cleaner to get the polish out, and it only took a few seconds to do it. To get the cleaner to do its best work, I always put the stones in the cleaner immediately after the polishing step, definitely not later after the polish has had time to dry out.

As you can see in the photos, the leftover trim piece was just as attractive as the finished cab. I was quite pleased with the cab’s look, and it came out better than I had expected.

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Author: Bob Rush

Bob Rush has worked in lapidary since 1958 and metal work and jewelry since 1972.
He teaches at clubs and Modesto Junior College. Contact him at rocksbob@sbcglobal.net.

 

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The post Tumbling Talk: Unexpected Find Becomes Tumbling Treasure first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

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