Facet Talk 197 - Australian Facetors Guild Limited
Transcription
Facet Talk 197 - Australian Facetors Guild Limited
May - June 2014 Number 197 Official organ of the Australian Facetors’ Guild Limited www.facetorsguild.com.au ACN 007 250 688 ABN 62 819 112 280 Print Post Approved—PP 405518/00043 ISSN 1035-0977 The Xtra” “ HALL - Xtr a” Faceting Machine F aceting Mac hine Features: Uses 6" diameter lap plates Variable Speed – 0 to 1250 rpm. Easy to see and set to 0.01 Degrees Dial Cutting Gauge Post on Swing Arm (No clamping needed) Larger Cast Aluminium Bowl Epoxy coated Base, Bowl and Swing Arm Head glass blasted, clear acrylic coated. Stainless Steel Sleeve over Post Includes: 96, 80 and 64 Tooth Index Wheels Fifteen Dops, 3mm. to 8mm. in Flat, Cone and Vee form. Dops for Setting. 45 Degree Angle Dop. Transfer Block. Instruction Book. Keys. PRICE: $3300 (Deli ver ed) (Deliv ered) Manufactured by UNAMIT Available From: UNAMIT CAIRNS 234 Mc.Cormack St, Cairns, Qld 4870 Phones:- BH (07) 4053 1474 2014 International Faceting Competition The 50th Gemboree was held in Gatton, Queensland. The International Faceting Competition (IFC) was won by Australia with a score of 1441.55 with Paul Fenslau being the highest point scorer for the Australian side. AFG President Graham Kinsela presented Paul with his medal and the IFC trophy at the AFG General Meeting at the Gemboree (see below). The Individual Champion was Anthony Burston (UK) with a score for three stones of 296.05 (top right). He also had the highest individual score of 99.76 in Section A. Paul Feneslau was second with 292.14 points (bottom right). See page 23 for full results. Front Cover: Top row: Celtic Design - GemRay plot and frosting on the pavilion. Centre Left: Plagioclase - Labradorite variety (see page 6); Fine blue 3 ct sapphire - Trilliant cut ($4000 per carat); Rough sapphire (about 5 ct) - blue yellow particolour. Right: Celtic Country - Glen Innes - Venue for the 1014 AFG Seminar Bottom Left: Amethyst Sceptre from Entia Valley, NT. Bottom Right: Concentrate from sieve - zircons and sapphires. You might also find a cutter at Frazer’s Creek, Glen Innes! See page 25 for Registration Information. May - June 2014 3 Contents Contributions to Facet Talk Original contributions and letters are encouraged and welcome from all members for inclusion in Facet Talk. Letters and questions relating to faceting will be published under Letters to the Editor. Members are encouraged to respond with suitable answers or comment which will be included in a subsequent edition of Facet Talk. We are always looking for original ideas and experiences! Material from other published sources must be acknowledged by citation as required by copyright. If articles include copied material please provide the full details of the source in the following format: Author, Initials. (date of print). Title as it appears in the front pages in italics. Publisher: City. Articles are preferred in electronic form which may be emailed or sent on CD. Legible hand written articles are also welcome but must be sent c/o AFG Editor, PO Box 722, Warwick, Qld 4370. Board of Directors and Contacts Reports President’s Report Secretary’s Report Seminar Registration Form Membership Report Branch Reports Nomination Form for AGM International Faceting Competition Results In this Issue Cutting Feldspar - Jim Finlayson Gemstone Inclusions – Derek Lee (GemSelect) Buying a Faceting Machine – AFG Forum Hard Stops in Faceting Machines - UKFG Polishing Corundum – Philippe Glastre All correspondence sent to the Editor is subject to the Editorial Committees’ discretion for inclusion in Facet Talk. Varieties of Garnet – Ed. John Broadfoot Electronic submission: When submitting articles for Facet Talk please provide files saved as Word (.doc) or Rich Text Format (RTF). Please send photographs as separate JPG files (300 dpi) to ensure high quality when printing the magazine. Good colour photographs may be selected for use on the front cover. Please include contact details for publication for all technical articles so that interested people may contact the author directly. Gem Shows: Protecting the Brand – Jim Jeavons All articles should be sent to the Editor: Mail to: AFG Editor, PO Box 722, Warwick, 4370. Email: [email protected] Phone: 0429 692 904 NOMOG Stones - Philippe Glastre What’s Coming Up AFG Seminar in Glen Innes in September 2014 4 5 25 30 31 24 23 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 28 Letters to the Editor 25 26 32 AFG Supplies – Order Form 33 AFG Seminar Program Advertisers AusGems Aussie Sapphire – Lapidary supplies DISCLAIMER While this publication is the official organ of the Australian Facetors’ Guild Limited, opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of the Guild or its officers. Further, neither the AFG, Board of Directors nor the Editor of Facet Talk is responsible for liability arising from errors, omissions or mistakes contained in Facet Talk and readers are warned to proceed cautiously, especially with respect to any technical information or advice for which the Guild and the Editor does not warrant the accuracy and disclaims all liability. BR Gemstones Cartwright Gemmological Instruments Cat Lap – Special Lap - Horst Ricker Coolamon Mining Pty Ltd – Sapphires Gemcuts & New Jersey Instruments: Faceting machines GemFest - Anakie Gemhunters Haven – Lapidary supplies L & F Enterprises – Laps, saws and diamond LA Gems – Findings, cut stones, etc Mt Surprise Gems – Minerals, topaz, findings NEW ADVERTISING RATES Maximum Copy Dimensions B&W Colour Width x Depth Rate $ Rate $ Pilbara Geological Supplies - Belomo Hand Lens Quality Gem Rough - *New Owner* Glenn Huntley Full page - 75mm x 250mm 3 120 240 Sapphire Engineering – VJ Faceting machine UNAMIT – Hall Extra Faceting Machine 1/2 page - 85mm x 250mm or 175mm x 125mm 60 120 1/4 page - 85mm x 125mm or 175mm x 60mm 30 60 1/8 page – Members For Sale and Business Cards 15 30 Celtic – Wilf Ross (Ed. J Broadfoot) Members - boxed advertisements (1/8 to 1/4 page) 15 Eureka Cross – Kel Smith Colour rates are for inside or outside back cover and inside front cover. Cost of any artwork and layout is additional to copy rate if advertisement is not print ready. Contact the Editor for a quotation for artwork. Print ready copy is preferred in PDF format (Press Quality) or as a Word file with separate JPG files for graphics – high resolution (300 dpi). Top quality prints must be submitted for publication. Faceting designs NOMOG – Philippe Glastre Pentagon Cut – Brian Brown Opal Round - Revised J. Broadfoot SparkOThree - Glenn Klein Round Tril – Jeremy Newman Sphal3_Rev with alternate Crowns – J. Broadfoot Rectangular Cushion 1.40 – Sequence by Geoff Jones 19 27 35 2 29 35 27 35 24 18 12 24 23 30 8 2 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 4 Facet Talk Scratchings from the Editor John Broadfoot Welcome to Facet Talk 197 It was good to see a lot of AFG members at the Gemboree. I didn’t see much as I was MC for whole show. Congratulations to the AFG members who entered the Faceting Section and won a number of Prizes (see photos page 36). You should have noticed the “Standing Stones” on the front page! You may well say “What has this got to do with faceting?” Well our Seminar Venue for this year is in Glenn Innes which has a strong Scottish and Celtic background. There is also a design “Celtic” on page 15. Have a go and we will set up a special display case for Celtic Designs at the Seminar. Bring your finished stones along. A number of articles on basic cutting and polishing techniques have been included in this issue. These include Cutting Feldspars (Jim Finlayson, UKFG), Polishing Corundum (Philippe Glastre) and Garnet varieties (Ed). There are also forum accounts (AFG and UKFG) about faceting machines – which to buy and “no such thing as hard stops”. Some members may like to respond to what has been said. Let’s hear from you? Philippe Glastre (France) shares his ideas on and techniques for cutting stones without girdles (NOMOGS). Derek Lee of GemSelect has kindly provided an account of Gemstone Inclusions which should be considered when purchasing and faceting rough. We must thank our exchange partners for these contributions. It would be good to see more Australian contributions! How about it? Following my comments in the last editorial and concerns by our President it is timely to include a letter by Jim Jeavons re Protecting the Brand. It is very concerning that a few appear to be giving the lapidary shows a bad name. As members of a Guild we should certainly be above reproach in our dealings involving gemstones. Correction: In the last issue my article on Photographing gemstones had a Freudian slip. The paragraph should have read: “F ratio. F ratio is important but depends what you are photographing. If you want a greater depth of field you need to use higher F numbers, e.g., 11 - 22. For specific features such as an inclusion you need to limit the background. In this case use a lower F number (f3.5 plus).” If you need assistance in any technical aspect to submit articles do not hesitate to give me a call 0429 692 904 or email me on [email protected]. Please refer to instructions on Page 3 when submitting articles. The mailing address for the editor is: AFG Editor, PO Box 722, Warwick, Qld. 4370. When submitting articles electronically please leave the formatting to the editor – plain text as Times New Roman size 11 font is fine. No fancy fonts or columns. Number 197 President’s Report Graham Kinsela The 2014 Gemboree has been done and dusted for another year. The AFG stall was well manned over the four days. We signed up four new members whilst there. I congratulate Australia as the Team winner of the International Faceting Challenge and the highest placed Australian facetor Paul Fenselau. I congratulate all who entered and those who were involved in the running of this event. From what I have seen it is quite a large job and Peter Stringfellow must be singled out for his work in getting it organised. See page 23 for the point scores. I have had the pleasure of visiting several clubs doing talks and demonstrations which have been well received. I have had several comments about members who demonstrate at shows and are carrying on their business. It is a timely reminder of your ethics if you are asked to attend a show on behalf of the guild. Firstly you are not allowed to carry on your business. Secondly if asked about learning faceting then you should direct them to the club that you are representing. If the club does not have a faceting tutor then refer them to the AFG. I have a meeting with a lapidary club coming up and it appears that it may end up being a meeting to set up a new facet group. If your club would like a visit from me please send me an e-mail and when I am in your area I will drop in and do a talk or demonstration. Les and Noel will be meeting up with me in Glen Innes in May to finalise plans and contracts for the Seminar in September. On that note if you have not as yet registered, then could you please complete the form in this issue and send off to Les and remember NO MONEY yet please. John and Garry have almost finalised the fossicking trips, just a few loose ends yet. Happy faceting Australian Facetors Guild has QR Code access. This symbol can be scanned with an iPad, iPhone, Smart Phone or even your notebook. It will log you directly onto the AFG website: www.facetorsguild.com.au Publishing dates for Facet Talk may be altered as the need arises. Mailing date for hard copy is approximately 3 weeks after copy deadline. Electronic copy will be available as soon as it goes to the printer. Facet Talk Copy dates for 2014 Number and issue Copy to Editor FT198 Jul/Aug Jun 23 FT199 Sep/Oct Aug 25 FT200 Nov/Dec (Special Edn) Oct 27 If you have any queries re delivery of your Facet Talk please contact the Secretary about the electronic copy or the Membership Secretary for mailed copy. May - June 2014 Secretary’s Report Noel Warrell Summary of Easter 2014 General Meeting The meeting was attended by 32 members with 37 proxy votes being received. It is somewhat disappointing that some members who were camped on the grounds for the Gemboree or were visiting for the day did not attend the meeting, the start time for which was delayed to 5.30 pm so as many members as possible would have the opportunity to attend. A discussion took place on a proposal by the Board to formalise the convention for naming groups within the Guild and for setting down the reporting hierarchy for such groups. There has never been any written guidance for members who want to set up a local group in a particular area and this has resulted in a sometimes confusing name for a group that implies the group represents a state, e.g. Victorian branch, South Australian branch etc. rather than a particular location or group. This proposal would see a new bylaw added to the Guild’s Articles of Association that would give certainty to the process of setting up new groups. The by-law would reflect the present practices of the way groups conduct their affairs. The only change that is envisaged is the actual name for each group would be in a set format, e.g. “AFG Moreton Bay Group” with the AFG representing Australian Facetors’ Guild and the location of the group or the activity of the group making up the second part of the name. A show of hands by those members present indicated strong support for the proposal. The necessary steps will now be put in place so the proposal can go to a vote at the Annual General meeting. An important event at the meeting was the announcement of the results of the 2014 International Faceting Challenge. President, Graham Kinsela, presented Paul Feneslau of Victoria, one of the Australian entrants, with his Gold medallion as a member of the Australian team that won the Teams challenge and his Silver medallion as runner-up in the Individual Championship. Paul also took symbolic possession of the Rose Bowl perpetual trophy on behalf of the Australian team. The full results of the competition are printed elsewhere in this Facet Talk. 20 Year Club It is that time of year again that I look at the membership data base and get the current list of 20 year club members ready for publication. The members who qualify this year are listed elsewhere in this Facet Talk. If your name is not on the list and you think you are now eligible to join the 20 year club please get in touch with me so we can check the records for your joining date. Nomination of Office Bearers and Directors This is the time of our membership year when the process of electing/appointing next year’s Office Bearers and Directors begins. 5 The nomination form for Directors and Office Bearers is printed elsewhere in this issue. Directors are nominated by groups from within each state. Office Bearers, President, Treasurer and Vice-President are nominated by individual members with the nominees consent. (The position of Secretary is a Board appointment.) If there is more than one nomination for a position then a vote is taken at the Annual General Meeting to determine who should be the relevant Director or Office Bearer. This year the positions to be filled are those of all state Directors and the position of Treasurer. If no written nominations are received then the Board must appoint a person who is willing to take the office. Reminder: You need to send your email address to the Secretary [email protected] if you have elected to receive both forms of Facet Talk. Make sure this address is not blocked or sent to spam or trash. AFG Seminar 2014 in Glen Innes, NSW Please Register using the Form on Page 25 This year the Annual AFG Seminar looks like being one of the best ever. We will have activities for two weeks starting with Craft and Faceting Workshops and Courses for the first four days (1 – 4 September) followed by a day for GemCad (5 September). The Seminar weekend (6 and 7 Sept) has plenty to offer in lectures and demonstrations (see program p. 24). For the first time we are offering four days of extended fossicking opportunities to look for sapphires, zircons, topaz, tin, gold etc. These will be led by experienced guides – some at a nominal cost for entry. You can attend more than one of these – some even twice. Make sure you indicate your preferences on the Registration Form (page 25). You can contact Les Sinclair by E-mail if you need further information on [email protected] or for further information on Glen Innes www.gleninnestourism.com Note: No permit is required for Designated Fossicking areas in NSW. Information at: http://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_f ile/0007/363544/A-Guide-to-Fossicking-in-NewSouth-Wales.PDF WANTED! Articles about faceting or fossicking exploits Photographs of workshops, stones & travels. Designs – new or revised. Photographs need to be high resolution! Please email to AFG Editor: John M. Broadfoot [email protected] 6 Facet Talk Cutting Feldspar By Jim Finlayson (Reprint from UKFG, FSC #8 June 1996) Editor: Many of us have collected a lot of labradorite in Australia. Many of us are still to facet it! The most well known localities in Australia are at Hogarth Range near Casino NSW, Springsure in Central Queensland and Cheviot Hills, North Queensland. Now to faceting it! Varieties of feldspar Labradorite is a variety of the Plagioclase feldspars. Other members of the plagioclase feldspars are Albite, which is the Na(sodium) rich end member, Oligoclase, Andesine, Labradorite, Bytownite and Anorthite, the Calcium (Ca) rich end member. Only Albite, Labradorite and occasionally Bytownite are normally cut as gemstones. The following properties are specifically for the labradorite variety of plagioclase feldspar: Refractive Index: 1.560 - 1.570 Double Refraction: +0.012 Critical angle: 39.9°. Dispersion: None Lustre: Vitreous Specific Gravity: 2.69 - 2.72 Hardness: 6 - 6.5 Fracture: Uneven, splintery. Cleavage: Perfect perpendicular to "C" axis. Crystal System: Triclinic Heat sensitivity: Low. Chemical Composition: (Na, Ca) with Al, Si and 0 (aluminosilicate). Faceting feldspars Facetors may have the opportunity to cut albite, labradorite and bytownite in the plagioclase feldspars and orthoclase in the potassium feldspars. The cutting and polishing methods for these will all be the same. The plagioclase feldspars may show bands of twinning, seen as narrow slices of slightly different texture, during the cutting, but these disappear when polished. The feldspars have a perfect cleavage perpendicular to the "C" axis, which should be kept off the table. This cleavage plane is frequently difficult to see in the rough material and it may be necessary to trust to luck. I have never had a problem polishing a table, but there is always a first time. For facetors, the colour of labradorite is light to deeper yellow when inclusion free. With inclusions of hematite or copper platelets it is called Sunstone and will be some shade of gold or red. For cabbers the labradorite is translucent to opaque deep blue with flashes of blue, green and gold colours from lamellar twinning planes beneath the surface. This effect is known as Schiller. This material may be called "Labradorite" or "Spectralite". There is no pleochroism in most feldspars but can be observed in labradorite usually as different shades of the body colour. Number 197 With a hardness of 6 - 6.5 the material is just hard enough to go into jewellery and the Sunstone from Oregon can be quite expensive as a cut stone. It cuts easily and a prepolish of 1200 grit is adequate. Polishing is easy and quick using Cerium oxide on acrylic. Your favourite polish combination for quartz would probably work as well. Much of the yellow labradorite on the market comes from Mexico, Madagascar, Australia and many places in the USA. Most Sunstone comes from Oregon, USA. Feldspar is a complex mineral and a single page here is no place to even scratch the surface of this complexity. The very basic information provided here is only intended to give introductory information to confirm that this material can be easily obtained, cut and polished to give a brilliant gemstone. The Faceter’s Wife by Bettie Johnson Oh sad is the life For a Faceter’s wife As she watches T.V. all alone. While he hopes and he schemes For the gem of his dreams, For the 100 score perfect stone. He must never to told That dinner’s grown cold, Or asked to do some household chore. It might make the lap Cause some awful mishap, And scratch up the table – or more! It must never be said ”Dear, please come to bed”. Although the clock has struck two. While the culet is done, And the mains – all but one, He still has the girdle to do. Then disaster appears, Neighbours cover their ears. Blue smoke comes from under the door! He had just finished the top When it fell off the dop And got lost on the junk on the floor! But after the pain, He’ll try it again. At least he’ll never get bored! He’ll try a new cut. She’s alone again but This one may win an award. “So it’s all been worthwhile”, I can say with a smile As I look at his case in a show. Each stone passed his test, He just did his best. As a Faceter’s wife, I should know! May - June 2014 7 Gemstone Inclusions The Good, the Bad and the Ugly By Derek Lee, Marketing Director at GemSelect Reprinted with permission, www.gemselect.com The definition of perfect, according to MerriamWebster, is to be “entirely without fault or defect”. So in essence, to be defined as divine perfection, one must be internally and externally flawless. A natural gemstone is nature’s creation and most of us are all too familiar and aware that nature is rarely ever perfect. It is very fair to say that natural gemstones are expected to have some degree of imperfection, allowing the concept of flawlessness to flow with leniency in the colored gem trade. Unlike diamonds, different types of precious colored gems have completely different standards in regards to what are acceptable inclusions, which is why the colored gem trade lacks an official clarity grading scale. External Flaws Gemstones can have both external and internal flaws. Gemstone flaws occurring on the outer surface of a gem are more than likely the result of an “external” environmental factor. Some examples of external flaws commonly found with precious gems are scratches, blemishes or chipped edges. These kinds of surface flaws may affect the value and appearance of a gemstone, but other types of external flaws, such as naturals, may actually carry no effect on a gemstone’s value. Internal Flaws Internal flaws found in gemstones are known as inclusions. Gemstone inclusions are often used to help identify a specific gem. Like fingerprints, each gemstone has its own unique internal structure of both purities and impurities. With the unique placement and individual characteristics of each gem, no two gemstones are alike. Whether it’s the weight, dimensions, color, purities or impurities, a gemstone is as individually unique as a snowflake. Formed by nature, or sometimes by man through the process of enhancement, inclusions can make the most intriguing of gems even more individually charismatic. Internal gem inclusions can take on many classification types, but generally will fall under one of the following main categories: Solid Inclusions A solid inclusion is any enclosed inclusion, which can pretty much mean any other mineral specimen, including the host mineral. For example, solid inclusions can include pyrite found in lapis, green mica deposits in aventurine and rutile deposits found in sapphire. Other solid inclusions could be needles, minerals and crystal growths such as calcite. Liquid Inclusions Some gemstone specimens have unique internal cavities within their structure. Typically these cavities are very small, but some specimens may have quite large cavities. Often times, these cavities are occupied with a liquid, such as water or saline. Cavities can also contain liquid carbon dioxide or even natural hydrocarbon compounds. Topaz, beryl and quartz are gem types known to have frequent occurrences of liquid inclusions and opals have extremely high water content, sometimes up to 30% liquid silica gel or hydrated silicone dioxide. This liquid compound is responsible for producing the vivid rainbow hues of opal’s fantastic play of color effect. Gaseous Inclusions As with liquid inclusions, gaseous Internal Flaws inclusions are gasses that occupy a cavity within a gemstone, rather than a liquid foreign substance. Typically cavity gasses are composed of air, but they can also be filled with carbon dioxide and compound gasses. It is even possible for gasses to be within a liquid inclusion as well. Gaseous inclusions can be easily identified appearing as bubbles in a gemstone. Optical Inclusions Sometimes referred to as a “Phantom Inclusion”, an optical inclusion is where a shadow of the host crystal’s external shape can be seen in a gemstone. As a host crystal grows and stops, and then starts to re-grow again, it encloses previous outer surface layers of the host crystal. During this repeated process, preexisting substances are layered and layered with new substance. The resulting formation is what is referred to as a phantom inclusion. Other types of optical inclusions are Color Zoning and Radiation Halos (Ed. Commonly seen in Mud Tank Zircons from Central Australia). Value Although it is understandable to believe the common misperception that all inclusions are bad, especially since the very word, inclusion, can easily conjure up vivid images of nasty internal cracks, feathers, fractures or clouds, but the truth is that not all inclusions are bad. In fact, there are even some gem types that are actually valued for their inclusions. For example, amber is a gem type composed of fossilized, hardened resin. Often times, insects, plants and other organic materials are trapped within the resin as it hardens, and specimens with organic matter enclosed are heavily prized and highly valued. Other types of gems with valuable inclusions are rutile quartz, Russian demantoid garnet and certain types of corundum, such as ruby and sapphire that contain velvety silk rutile inclusions. It is fair to say that the value of a gemstone is based on its rarity and not whether or not it has so-called flaws. A gemstone with impurities and inclusions may very-well be considered a perfect specimen and it may just be more valuable than you would expect. So be sure to think twice before passing up on included gems, because they may just be more valuable than one would expect. 8 Facet Talk Buying a Faceting Machine? Question asked on the AFG Forum “Can anyone give me some direction. I am looking to buy a faceting machine, not for commercial use. I am starting in a club near Northern NSW and will need my own soon. I will also need to know what extras I will need. Anxious to get started. I have been known to try for perfection and to do this it helps to have the best tools.” Posted by Ian (Gold Coast) Answers 1. “Good to hear you are keen to learn faceting and like to achieve the best results in what you do. Taking that into account a second hand machine might not be the way for you to go, as most of these machines are not as accurate as what you hope to achieve. Unless you are sure that the second hand machine is not years old and still well within the manufacturer’s tolerances and settings a new machine may be your best bet. Your personal preferences now come into play. Faceting machines are varied and only by getting some hands on experience with a few different types will you find one that is suitable for you. I teach faceting in two Clubs and found that those Members have a variety of machines but most are happy with the following. VJ, Hall Extra, Gemmasta GF4, Facetron. There may be others that are suitable but these are some of the better ones I have had experience with through our members. They are good for hobby and competition cutting, but it is not the machine that gets the results but the competence you have in using it. That is achieved through the learning process. A new machine will have most of the equipment you will need apart from laps and some accessories. A basic setup would be a set of 4 laps. These are one each for rough and fine cutting, pre-polish and polishing. Diamond grits for the laps, wax and epoxy for securing your rough, matches and spirit lamp. These extras you will learn about when you have discussions with other facetors. All the best with your lapidary and faceting.” Posted by Rick 2. “It was great to see that you got quite a few responses to your question. You have had a lot of very good advice. There are lots of things for you to consider in coming to your decision on what machine to buy. You will find that many people very strongly recommend the machine that they are using and this is understandable as they have gone through the process you are commencing to get to where they are now. That lots of them have gone through the process and arrived at a different destination tells me that the user is a very important part of the final decision. That being the case here are a few general things that you will need to think about: Number 197 x Do you feel most comfortable using a left or right hand machine as you will be spending lots of time there? x Do you want a normal mast machine or an "arc" type or even a lily pad (tang) type? x Do you want the faceting head to go up and down the mast or do you want the lap to go up and down? x Do you want a hard stop or a soft stop machine? x Do you want a machine with a Beale-Woolley attached? x Do you want a machine with a digital angle readout? x Do you want a variable speed motor and a reverse switch? Then you will also have to consider such things as: x How noisy is the motor? Will it mask the cutting/polishing sounds you need to hear? x How much flex is there in the mast - quill set-up? x How accurate is the machine? Applies to new and older. x How repeatable will your settings be? I am sure others out there could add to this list and I hope they do so. You will see the reasons for what I have written as you go through your learning process.” Posted by Brian. SAPPHIRE ENGINEERING Manufacturer of The VJ Faceting Machine Laps and Trimsaws Cylindrical Lapping attachment Motor and speed control conversions/replacements available Flat and round drive belts made to order for All Machines VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.vjfacet.com 38 GOLCHERTS ROAD P.O. BOX 55 CHILDERS QLD. 4660 PHONE: 07 4126 2155 EMAIL: [email protected] May - June 2014 Hard Stops in Faceting Machines From: Stonechat No.104 Spring 2014 Question from Brad Amos Glenn Klein is a fine gem facetor, probably a better one than I will ever be, but I believe that his article on 'Cutting to the stop' reprinted in the latest edition of Stonechat is completely misleading and erroneous, in that it speaks of 'allowing the stop to determine the depth of cut'. The reason that this is incorrect is that, because of the flexibility of the mast and arm of all faceting machines, the stop does not determine the depth of cut in any controllable way. I am sending here something I posted on the US Faceter's Guild Forum in 2008, with slight editing: In my opinion, the stop in the Ultratec and probably all other machines of the mast-and-arm type, no matter how well made or adjusted, is always soft, not hard. The mechanical reason is that the stop is located in the wrong place - up in the 'armpit' instead of close to the stone. As you progressively cut the stone, you meet the stop and then the arm flexes. In previous postings, I described my measurements on my Ultratec, showing that arm flexure produces one fifth of a millimetre of overcut for each 130g of force on the stone. Since the weight of the arm itself measures as a 130g force at the stone, you get this amount of overcut even if you put no pressure on the stone with your fingers! (If you hate metric units 130g is about the weight of an apple and much less than the force you use on a computer keyboard). The only type of machine that has a real hard stop is the Tang, used by diamond cutters. This is completely different from the coloured stone machines used by amateurs. The cast iron hand piece weighs several kilos, but it is made highly rigid, so that the cut depth is controlled to micron accuracy by a three-point sliding contact. This does, of course, require great precision in the manufacture and mounting of the horizontal platform, truly planar and parallel with the lap surface. A hard stop is probably essential for diamond cutting, because very large forces are used on the stone. When I wish to cut to a particular angle with my Ultratec machine, I keep well away from the hard stop position and rely on the indication on the digital angle dial (Ed. dial indicator) to tell me when to stop cutting. Since the arm is not held by the stop, it can rotate freely and there is no tendency for it to bend. With this method, it is possible to produce a perfect whorl of pavilion facets up to prepolish stage without even looking at the stone with the loupe. The angle gauge ceases to be useful, of course, when polishing, because the change in angle during polishing is too small to register. However the same procedure, avoiding the stop like the plague, is the best way to approach the initial polishing orientation. I suspect that Glenn is like a fine violinist: He knows how to practice his art but does not understand the physics of what he is doing. 9 Reply by Mike Richardson Brad is absolutely correct. A true hard stop does not exist on any machine that I know off no matter how rigid and well made it seems. You can rely on the stop only as far as placing the facets in the early to intermediate stages. Once you get down to fine cutting and prepolishing, the only way to bring meets in is by eye using a loupe. This is true even when the "hard stop" is used in conjunction with a stop light, dial gauge, digital protractor or strain gauge. Infinitesimally small variations in finger pressure on the stone will manifest themselves in under or over cut facets. So far, there is yet no substitute for the cut and look technique. Question for next issue of Facet Talk Mast v Platform v Quadrant Faceting Machines When choosing a faceting machine, what are the pros and cons of the three main types of Faceting machines: Mast type machines (Hall, Gemmasta, Facetron, Ultratec), Platform tang machines (Raytech Shaw, Imahashi) and quadrant machines (Facette, Drabsch, VJ)? Answers to the editor for publication in the next issue please. Central Queensland Gemfields Miners Common turns 100 in 2014 Located about 25 km north of Anakie, Central Queensland, the Rubyvale, Sapphire and Scrub Lead Miners Common is celebrating 100 years in 2014. The Common was gazetted on 19 November 1914. There will be a number of celebrations throughout the year. The On Common Ground Folk Festival will be held on 7 and 8 June (Queen’s Birthday weekend). The culmination will be the Miners Common Centenary Ball on the 22 November 2014. For more information contact Kim on 0407 760 001. Email: [email protected] Gemfest – Festival of Gems The 2014 Gemfest, 7 to 10 August, will be the 27th. It is a four day festival featuring Local, National and International merchants and Gem Miners. See page 35 for more information. Contact Linda on 07 4985 4375. Visit the website: www.gemfest.com.au The very first Gemfest in 1987 was an idea which originated with the late Joyce Deeley and Gladys Dougherty from Rubyvale. The idea of a Gemfest was one way of drawing people to the fields to showcase Central Queensland sapphires and try to create an informed market. Joyce and Gladys had faith and put in $10000 each of their own money which became a donation! The late Councillor Gregory of Emerald Shire and owner of the Anakie Hotel added her support to host the first Gemfest at the Allan King Memorial Park, Anakie. The three pushed on and organised the festival with the support of locals. See advertisement for the 2014 Gemfest on page 35. 10 Facet Talk Number 197 Polishing Corundum by Philippe Glastre (France) From UKFG, Stonechat 104, Spring 2014 For a long time I tried to polish corundum with different laps and abrasives - bronze lap, tin/lead lap, lead lap, diamond paste, diamond grit in oil, etc., and every time I obtained rather poor results. I never tried the ceramic lap nor PTFE grease. The "least bad" results were achieved on my bronze lap (the grade of which is unknown from about three dozen types) with 1 micron (14000 mesh) diamond in olive oil. Then someone told me the solution. I tried it and was immediately enthusiastic. One only needs a flat copper surface, some edible oil (say olive or peanut) and 1 micron diamond powder. I personally use a 4mm thick copper sheet, bolted at its center on a master lap. It was cut from a rolled plate and is far from perfect (with scratches and bumps). I then put very little oil on one clean finger, just touching the oil then scraping the excess off on the mouth of the tube. The remaining oil is in the fingerprint. Then I touch the lap at 10 or 12 different places. One can hardly see the oil on the surface. Remember it is for polishing corundum not for frying pancakes. I then wipe my finger on a clean cloth or tissue. With the same finger, which is still a little bit greasy, I touch the 1 micron diamond grit. Very little of the powder sticks to the finger. I then touch the lap surface to transfer the diamond grit to the lap, not necessarily in the same places that I put the oil, then I start polishing. One can expect to polish 10 to 20 sapphires, depending on the size, without any additions. When polishing becomes difficult, clean the lap and restart. I cannot say whether this process is better, worse or equivalent to the Superlube process as I have not used that type of polish. From my experience I consider it to be perfect, quick and cheap. Now the question. Is this process suitable for CZ? I personally have no answer. When I came to polish my CZ for the AFG 1996 International competition I tried this method and was not able to polish without scratches so I decided that it did not work for CZ. But later on I had to repolish a sapphire and again I had scratches. I cleaned the lap with a few drops of solvent and restarted, but with very little oil and very little additional diamond, and it worked again. It must be noted here that several months had passed between my first successful test on sapphire and the unsuccessful test on CZ then more time elapsed before I found that I could no longer polish sapphire either. This was probably due to the oil having altered or evaporated. The next time I have to polish CZ I shall condition the lap surface and check with sapphire to ensure that it polishes correctly. If it does, and it should, I will then move on to polish the CZ to get the answer. If anyone else does this before I do then he (she) is allowed to give the answer. I gave this recipe to a friend who had recently been to Vietnam and had brought back a few rubies. After he spent a couple of hours unsuccessfully trying to polish his first ruby, using his original method of diamond on tin/lead, he called me and asked for my advise. I gave him the particulars of the procedure detailed above. His first test was successful and now he uses this method exclusively for polishing corundum, as do I. Replacing diamond grit with diamond paste is a disaster. No test was performed by my friend or myself on synthetic corundum but it should work equally well. UK Editor’s note: I also have noted that a polishing lap which was working well some time ago causes scratches when reused after a period of idleness. I have thought that this was due to the oil drying out and agglomeration of the diamond. I usually lightly oil before starting to polish and start with light pressure to break down any diamond clumps. Editor (John Broadfoot): Essentially this is the greasy lap system which has been described a number of times. For prepolish I always use a copper lap with 3000 diamond grit with baby oil. The quantity of diamond needed depends on the size of the stone. Three things happen to the diamond on the copper lap which reduces the cutting/polishing ability and time. 1. The copper lap is soft and malleable and diamond is pushed deeper into the surface with continued use, hence the need to replenish frequently. 2. The diamond particles reduce in size with continued use and this increases cutting/polishing time. 3. Diamond grit is removed every time the stone is wiped and checked. With large sapphires more diamond is needed as it degrades in grit size and pushes into the lap quite quickly. Large flat surfaces are the hardest to polish and can take considerable time to polish. Small facets (less surface area) polish quickly but put more pressure on the diamond and push it deeper into the lap. All facetors need to become familiar with the way their laps and grit respond to different materials while prepolishing and polishing. What do I call large? Generally any sapphire that is going to cut over 2 carat will need more addition of diamond during the prepolishing step. Polishing can generally be achieved with one application of diamond. I agree with Philippe’s comment on pre-packed diamond pastes (in syringes). They are a waste of money when cutting sapphires. They contain about 1 carat of diamond in 5 to 10 mL of various fillers. This is too dilute for sapphire faceting. Good diamond grit can be bought for about $1 a carat. Regarding the thickness of the copper 4 mm is too thin. I use and recommend using 10 mm (1/4 inch) copper which is very flat and finished with a fine machining tool. Copper laps, especially when used for sapphire cutting, will require frequent resurfacing with a lathe. These laps cannot be successfully dressed on wet and dry paper on glass. May - June 2014 11 Varieties of Garnet Ed. John Broadfoot This account of gem garnets has been developed from the article in Meetpoints April 2014. Many of the varieties of garnet now on the market are based on locality names which can be confusing. Hopefully this article will clarify some of the misnomers? Garnet, the January birthstone, is derived from the Latin word granatus, meaning grain-like. Garnet is the name for a group of minerals with similar chemical structure and properties. Garnets have a variety of names based on the formula and particular colour of the crystal. Most people wrongfully think garnet gems only come in red because red garnet used to be the only known garnet. All species of garnets are used as gemstones – both faceted and cabbed. These exquisite crystals come in all colours and are also faceted in many designs. The use of garnets as gemstones has a long rich history. It is claimed that Noah steered the ark through darkness using the light from garnet crystals. The Egyptians often crowned the pharaohs with beautiful bracelets and necklaces adorned with garnet. The ancient Chinese rulers used garnets to decorate military uniforms. The use of garnets as contemporary pieces of jewellery did not start until the 19th century. Garnet is a member of an extended variety of stones that are natural, sparkling and very reasonably priced. In fact garnets are frequently used by fashion designers to make beautiful jewellery pieces. There are only six normal end-member garnet species. Figure 1 (Deer, Howie and Zussman, 1971) and Figure 2 (Broadfoot, 2014) show how these end members can form series through replacement of the ions for each end member. The relatively common variety of spessartite is discussed in more detail. Limited substitution by Ti, Cr and V for end member ions can change the colour substantially. Hence the large number of garnets now on the market. Colour change garnets are rare and highly sought after. These garnets are usually imported from Madagascar, Russia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, India, Canada, USA, Thailand, Spain and the Czech Republic. In most cases, one colour is dominant and the others less so. Figure 1. Compositional variations for the garnet series. The shaded areas represent naturally occurring garnets. ( Deer, Howie and Zussman,1971). Figure 2. A possible compositional series between the Ca garnets. The shaded areas represent possible intermediate compositions. (Broadfoot, 2014). To determine if a garnet is colour change always examine the garnet in different light (daylight as well as fluorescent and halogen lights). Some of these pricey garnets can cost anywhere from $4,000 $6,000 per carat. The story about garnets would not be complete without highlighting the two most beautiful garnets – Umbalite (Rhodalite) and Tsavorite (Grossularite). Both are intensely brilliant when faceted. Tsavorite comes from the central plains of East Africa, near the mountains of Kilimanjaro. This brilliant green grossularite gem, like Demantoid, is in high demand and not always available in sizes above 1 - 2 carat. Tsavorite is now considered to be the most valuable garnet. Garnet varieties Pyrope - Almandine series – dark red to pink. Some substitution by Cr produces bright stones - orange to pink (many new garnets from Africa are due to Cr or Vanadium (V) in Pyrope-Almandine composition). Pyrope (Cape Ruby) most well-known, commonly deep red. Dark colour – needs shallow design. Umbalite - pink and red (almandine – pyrope) also called rhodalite Rhodolite - purplish bright red Spessartite - red mixed with orange, medium price Mandarine - bright orange, rare and expensive Malaia – pyrope-almandine-spessartite mixture very popular Colour change garnets – rare and valuable – pyrope- spessartite Glossularite – yellow orange pink green blue green Hessonite - fine yellow, orange to reddish brown Tsavorite - (V) emerald green to blue-green expensive Malaya - variable colour – pink to brick orange to honey coloured Mali – grossular-andradite mixture, yellow to green-yellow to brown Andradite Demantoid - green – rare and expensive Melanite – black due to Ti Uvarovite – rich green (Cr) (continued page 12) 12 Facet Talk Spessartite Garnet Spessartite is a relatively plentiful garnet that is affordable in the rough and cuts brilliant gems. It draws it name from the type locality for the mineral, Spessart, in Bavaria, Germany. Spessartite has the specific chemical formula Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3 and is within the garnet group pyralspite. This is the Mg-FeMn series with pyrope, almandine and spessartite as end members respectively. (The pyrope-almandine series was discussed in Facet Talk 157). Spessartite is generally orange to red. The term spessartine is more often used in Europe but is synonymous with spessartite. Mandarin is a term inspired by the Namibian deposit producing more pure orange hues. Composition varies enormously for the pyralspite garnets. For example the Namanga garnets (Kenya) are not spessartite but more pyrope–almandine (58.65% Pyrope, 29.36% Almandine, 12.44% Grossular and 0.88% Spessartine). When the Namibian deposit came online around 1991, the colour palette for fine spessartite changed. The material coming out of Marienfluss, Kunene Region was an electric mandarin-orange hue, with some minor pink or red secondary that made it seem very pure and intense. The only drawback to this material was that it often had fine needles creating a silky appearance. The Nigerian deposit was by far the biggest as far as carats produced. This deposit in Lseyin, Oyo State, Nigeria produced material from dark reddish-orange to cinnamon orange to yellowish orange to mandarin hues. This material is very clean compared to many other spessartite deposits and still holds strong orange colors. The most recent spessartite deposit discovery was the massive find in Loliondo, Tanzania, around 2009. At first it seems only to produce fine crystal specimens but some cleaner faceted gems have worked their way into the market. Colours range from reddish orange to yellowish orange to mandarin hues. Although these are the most prolific spessartite deposits lately, there are several smaller but important localities in San Diego County, USA, Australia, Burma, China, Madagascar, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Number 197 Generally the darker stones are best facetted as either smaller stones or with very shallow and large pavilion mains. Shallow cushion cuts or hexagonal outlines are good. See the Square Cushion for sapphires in Facet Talk 167, p.15. The Refractive Index varies from 1.714 for pure pyrope to 1.83 for pure almandine therefore the RI of pyrope-almandine will be somewhere between these values depending on the actual composition. It is an easy matter to test with a refractometer. Designs with large pavilion facets work better than those with many smaller facets. It is colour you are after in darker stones, not brilliance. Shallow step cuts also work well. The pavilion design angle can be as low as 35°. The crown also needs to have low angles and a wider table (60% plus). Medium to light garnets Depending on the colour and transparency the “brilliant” designs can be used and higher angles can be used. Pavilion angles as low as 38 degrees for the higher RI garnets going to 40 degrees for the lower RI ones. Choose a design to suit the hue and saturation to keep the stone bright as possible. Crown mains of 30 - 35 degrees will work quite well. References AJS Gems. www.ajsgems.com Garnets. Palagems Website: www.Palagems.com Deer, W.A., Howie R.A. and Zussman, J. (1971). An Introduction to the Rock Forming Minerals. Longman. London Webster, R. (1975). Gems: Their Sources, Descriptions and Identification. Butterworth. London. L.A.GEMS PO BOX 792 STANTHORPE, QLD 4380 Ph 07 46812675 Faceting The hardness varies from 6.0 to 7.5 and the mineral has no problematic cleavage. Cutting is fast and after a quick preform the material can be fine cut using a 600 lap or even a 1200. It is easy to prepolish on copper (3000 or 8000) and polish with diamond (50000) on tin/typemetal or pewter. Dark garnets Use the paper test to check the colour of garnets. This is a good indication of the colour that can be expected after cutting. If you cannot see the colour through the rough when placed on a well lit piece of white paper the garnet is very dark, that is, very saturated. This is often the case for the dark red pyrope-almandine garnets. Lighter specimens will readily show the colour on the white paper. Email [email protected] (CELEBRATING 30 YEARS) For all your ring, pendant and earring settings in Sterling & 9ct Gold, Facet Rough, Faceted Stones Online catalogue available at www.lagems.net May - June 2014 13 NOMOG Stones by Philippe Glastre (France) From Stonechat No. 104 Spring 2014 What is written hereafter will probably seem unsatisfactory to many readers because it does not comply with what is usually said and done in gem faceting. So I would recommend to the nonbelievers: 1. Read, 2. Try, 3. Judge. It is not necessary to have the same opinion as I. For the curious, NOMOG is not a new name for a country, like Myanmar is the new name for Burma, all will be revealed as you read on. When I cut gems for pleasure I want to obtain a finished stone which sparkles, displays as well as possible, shows off (if I dare say that for a stone !) and when I was a beginner I was not very happy with the Standard Round Brilliant (SRB) cut until one day I came across a queer shape, published in a book (see Fig.1). Possibly many of you know this shape Crown (6 facets) Pavilion (6 facets). The finished stone seen from one side or the other appears to have 32 facets. This gave me the idea that if a stone is cut in such a way that the pavilion edges do not superimpose with the crown edges, one has the impression that more facets have been cut' than really have been. After a few different tests I arrived at a satisfactory solution. I cut a normal crown, as usual (I always start by cutting the crown first, after checking that the rough or preform is deep enough to allow a pavilion at normal angles). After transferring the stone, I cut the pavilion mains, as usual, with an angle a bit higher than the critical for the material being used (see Fig.2) for example, for Quartz, the pavilion mains will be cut at 43° or possibly 44°. Up to this point, nothing revolutionary I must confess. But here comes the first change. I cut the "stars" (facets cut on the crown star index setting) with an angle which will give bands of even width (see Fig.3) instead of cutting the "breaks" of the SRB. These star setting facets will be cut slightly higher than, or at worst, equal to the critical angle, which is 41.5° for quartz. I continue to cut these bands until the remaining triangular mains are about 2/3 of the pavilion height, sometimes more, sometimes less, but never less than half the pavilion height (explanation a bit later). Of course I keep the eight bands an equal width. Everyone can see that there are No Meets on the Girdle between the crown and the pavilion, therefore I call this fancy cut "NoMOG". So I obtain a new culet; the pavilion bight has been slightly reduced compared to the standard cut. This is an advantage for mounting, especially for low refractive index materials which tend to give too deep stones. I must admit that from time to time I see this cut on commercial stones after I came up with this idea, but rarely enough to think that there was an idea behind it. Next I cut a third row of facet mains with an angle lower than the critical angle for the material (Fig. 4). (Please stop screwing your finger into your temple!). By this means I can reduce the pavilion depth a second time, obtain an eight ray star around the culet and if the first mains are high enough the 8-ray star will be seen completely when examining the stone through the table. The angle for this third row of facets should be chosen to give lozenges (i.e., 4 equal edges) (see Fig.5) and not two short and two long edges (see Figs. 6 and 7). This eight pointed star addition is a quite well known modification called the "zircon cut" in some books but I claim that it is also effective on other stones. Some people will say using an angle lower than the critical angle leads to a loss of light, which goes through the stone to light up your shoes instead of being reflected back towards the eye. This is absolutely true, but the surface of this culet star is about 10% of the pavilion surface if its bight is about 1/3 of the pavilion height, and if the angle is not dreadfully less than the critical value, the specific loss on these facets can be estimated at around 10% to 20%. So the total loss of light, compared to the standard cut will be about 2%. If this third row of facets is too prominent, the total loss of light is increased and when looking through the table the tips of the 8 rays are hidden in the crown star facets. 14 Facet Talk This is why I keep the remaining triangles of the pavilion mains at about 2/3 of the pavilion bight. In the case of Fig. 7 the angle for cutting this third row of facets is also lower than in Fig. 5 and this also increases the light loss. Is there anything inconvenient about this cut? The only one that I have found is that the girdle shape is undulating. Is this really an inconvenience? The advantages of this cut are: 1. A visual improvement giving the impression of a higher number of facets. 2. A reduced pavilion height. 3. An improved aspect when looking through the table. Another possibility is to cut the pavilion mains on the same index as the crown star facets. Then cut bands on the same index as the crown mains, etc. Compare Fig. 8 with Fig. 2. I tried this but, though I am unable to give any explanation, I don't like the result. I don't use the NOMOG system for stones smaller than 6mm in diameter. If the stone is too small the facets are tiny and the human eye gets confused. It works best on stones above 10 mm in diameter. Can this system be applied to any colour? The best yield is obtained with light coloured or colourless stones. When the colour is too deep it is more difficult to observe the culet star and pavilion edges. Can all these principles be applied to other shapes such as Ovals or Cushions? They can. I will tell you that some other day. UK Editor's note: Use 44°, 42° and 35.5° for fairly exact representation in quartz (Fig. 8). Number 197 Vale Kelvin Smith (Kelpie) Kelvin Smith passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday 2 May 2014 following a two year fight with cancer. Kelvin, or Kelpie as he was affectionately known, was one of the early members of the Australian Factors Guild, joining in 1984. He was an inaugural founder and member of the Victorian branch of the Guild from 1984 and was also a member of the Warragul Gem Club, his local club. Kelvin taught faceting all over Australia and attended countless Gemkhanas, Gemborees and local Gem shows, giving countless demonstrations to further the art. He was always a jovial and happy facetor, ever ready with a joke or an amusing anecdote from the past and generously and unfailingly brought help and cheer to any facetor struggling with an intransigent stone. Kelvin created many faceting designs including Margaret’s Fancy named after his wife, the Aussie Battler, the Eureka Cross and the Kelpie Cut, to name a few. Over the years, many of these have been the set design in faceting competitions. Kelvin always amazed those who witnessed his skills with his speed at cutting commercial stones, working on multiple stones simultaneously and in sequence and how easy he made wax dopping look in his demonstrations. He will be missed by his friends in the Victorian branch but his name will live on there in the annual workshop encouragement plaque initiated by him and now to serve to honour his name. NOMOG.GEM Philippe Glastre, France From: Stonechat 104, Spring 2014, UKFG May - June 2014 15 Celtic Wilf Ross North York Facetors Guild 1999 Edited by John Broadfoot 2014 This cut has been included as a workshop exercise for the upcoming AFG Seminar in Celtic Country at Glen Innes. Let’s see if we can have a display case just for Celtic designs. Bring your finished stones to Glen Innes. The main object of this design is to ensure that the frosted cross is visible under the table as shown in the figure at the bottom of the page. Pavilion steps 6, 7 and 8 are left unpolished, i.e., frosted. An alternative is to leave facets 1 and 5 frosted. 16 Facet Talk Number 197 Eureka Cross Late Kel Smith, Vic AFG GemCad by Felix Kirshhofer, 2008 Kel designed this cut for the Unique Australian Design Competition for 2000. The Eureka Cross is based on the famous Eureka Flag flown at the Stockade in Ballarat during an uprising in 1854 by gold miners in protest to the taxes and fees for Miners’ Licenses and non-representation in Government. This marked the beginning of Democracy in Australia. This cut was set for the Novice Section of the 2002 AFG Competition. (Note: The Swiss spelling of January is Januar.) May - June 2014 17 Pentagon Cut for 96 Index Brian Brown, Gold Coast, Qld GemCad by Ian Baxter, AFG A Meet Point version was computed from indices and angles supplied by Brian. Only a single pavilion and crown main angle was given which meant quite a lot of angle chasing was required when cutting the original list. After the trials Brian reported "Cut very nicely, and looks great. I'm happy with it". 18 Facet Talk Number 197 Opal Round Unknown author This is an interesting design which should be relatively easy to cut and well suited to honey opal even that with colour flash. The facets are not numbered so that is an easy exercise for you. The mains are reflectors and the split stars should provide a more brilliance for the opal. The crown could easily be modified on the run. GemRay indicates a better brilliance with pavilion main at 44 degrees. There appears to be a lot of light loss with 42.5 degrees. L & F ENTERPRISES PTY LTD 9 Frederick Street, Bulleen Vic 3105, Phone/Fax: (03) 98508619 Mob 0414 966 758 COPPER LAP (6”) 1mm copper lap on alloy base $45.00 TIN LAP(6”) 2.5mm tin-alloy lap on alloy base $48.00 FACETING LAP(6”) 80# up to 240# $31.00 400# up to 3000# $28.00 * 8” tin, copper and faceting laps available GRINDING WHEEL 156x25(19,16)x38 $125.00 200x25(19,16)x38 $185.00 FLEXIBLE FOAM WHEEL (NOVA) 156x25(19,16)x38 $125.00 200x25(19,16)x38 $185.00 DIAMOND POWDER 10ct bottle $12.00 20ct bottle $18.00 DIAMOND PASTE 5 gram diamond paste $18.00 1200# up to 50,000# TRIM SAW BLADES 0.18mm to 0.3mm From $4.50 SINTERED THIN BLADES (Continuous rim) 100 to 150mm blades at 1.2mm From $18.00 180mm blade at 1.6mm 200 and 250mm blades at 2.0mm www.landfdiamond.com.au May - June 2014 19 SparkOThree (Garnet) By Glenn Klein From: NYFG Newsletter No. 108 April 2014 This design with a low pavilion which should suit medium coloured garnets and sapphires. It would also work for lighter garnets with a higher RI. This revision has whole numbers for the facet angles and a table which is more convex rather than concave in appearance. At AusGems you will find Gem Rough Synthetic Rough Gold Nuggets Jewellery PC Software, Plus more to come Free Classifieds for the next 3 Months www.ausgems.com Ph: 03 5678 8715 20 Facet Talk Round Tril Jeremy Newman From NYFG Newsletter No. 108 April 2014 This design incorporates the always suceessful trilliant culet into the more traditional round shape. Maybe readers can use this idea to modify other designs? Challenge: Redraw in GemCad and provide a sequence for this design. Number 197 May - June 2014 21 SPHAL3.GEM From: Stonechat No. 104 Spring 2014, UKFG This is quite a shallow cut which might suit those darker garnets or sapphires. The crown may be a bit busy but could be modified by cutting the table after crown facet D. See alternative Crown designs below. The pavilion of this design is the same as that for the square cushion PC09070 previously published in Facet Talk for sapphire. See Square Cushion Modified for Sapphire (John Broadfoot, 2007) Facet Talk 184, Page 15. Another Challenge: This design needs a description for the sequence. 22 Facet Talk Number 197 Rectangular Cushion 1.40 John Broadfoot 2014 Answer to Challenge by Geoff Jones Thank you for another interesting challenge. I would look at the size of the material and decide on the Length first and work from there. This is the GemCad sequence that I have created. I have a piece of dark Smoky Quartz about the right length to width ratio and will try the design in GemRay and see how it goes. See Facet Talk 196 for the original design and compare the sequence. May - June 2014 23 24 Facet Talk Number 197 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – Friday 5th SEPTEMBER 2014. It is that time of the year again when we are looking for your input into the agenda for the 2014 AGM which must be printed in the next issue of Facet Talk. If you have any item which you feel should be discussed for the benefit of members and the Guild please send it to the Secretary to arrive no later than July 1, 2014. Nominations are required for the positions of all State Directors plus the position of Treasurer. The nomination form is printed below; please note that any person nominating for the first time must provide details of date and place of birth as well as full name. Under Corporation Law, we are obliged to provide these details of the successful candidates to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission following the election. Those not up for re-election are the President (2 years of term remaining) and Vice-President (1 year of term remaining). AUSTRALIAN FACETORS’ GUILD LIMITED NOMINATION FORM 2014 – 2015 Office Bearers and Directors We .................................................................... and ................................................................... Name Name being members of the Australian Facetors’ Guild Limited, hereby nominate ................................................................................................. Name being a member of the Australian Facetors’ Guild Limited for the position of: (tick appropriate box below) TREASURER DIRECTOR, State, Signed:................................................................. Nominator and .......................................................... Nominator Signed: ............................................................. Date ..................................................................... Nominee Notes: Nominees for any position who have not previously held such a position MUST PROVIDE full name, plus details of date and place of birth. This form must arrive at the following address: AFG Secretary, P.O. Box 722, Warwick, Qld. 4370 or e-mail to: [email protected] NO LATER THAN 1ST JULY 2014. GEMHUNTERS HAVEN Glen Innes www.gemhuntershaven.com Gemstone Jewellery and Lapidary Supplies Diamond Powders Diamond faceting lap tops Copper polishing laps Type metal polishing laps JB Kwik and Weld epoxy Facet wax Gemmasta Faceting Machines Parts and dops for Gemmasta Dop sticks (3 sizes) for Hall faceting machines Brett & Jenny Brown PO Box 353 Glen Innes NSW 2370 Phone: 02 6732 1318 Mobile: 0488 181 758 Email: [email protected] May - June 2014 25 2014 AFG Seminar Registration Sunday 31 August to Saturday 14 September The Seminar will be held at Glen Innes on the 6 and 7 September. The venue is the Showgrounds located at Glen Innes. Members should make their showground accommodation booking on this registration form or with Les Sinclair. Contact details are: Phone 0427 725 752 and E-Mail: [email protected]. Please check with the Tourist Information Centre in Glen Innes for other accommodation options - www.gleninnestourism.com. Registration is important to ensure that you will be included in all activities. The activities for this year are listed below. Please fill in the name details for everyone attending so name tags can be provided and complete the boxes with the appropriate details for your activities. The name tags will be your receipt and indicate the activities in which you have elected to participate. Monday 1 – Thursday 4 September Faceting Course and Workshop - Monday 1 to Thursday 4 September. Please register separately – see page for Registration Form. Craft Course - Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 September. Making a chain bracelet. Please register separately – see page for Registration Form. Friday 5 September GemCad – Beginners and Advanced - Friday 5 September 8.30am – 3:00 pm. Cost: $10.00. Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September - Seminar The Seminar sessions for Saturday and Sunday are one price for all; i.e., $25.00 per day, whether for a single member or a family. A draft program for the sessions is will be printed in the July/August issue of Facet Talk and posted to the AFG web site. Saturday night dinner will be sit down meal provided by caterers. The cost of the meal is $30.00 per person. The dinner will take place following the Annual General Meeting. Monday 7 to Friday 11 - Field trips A number of alternative full day tag-along field trips will be offered in the week following the Seminar. Please register for these as we need to manage numbers. Friday will be a reserve or free day (further excursion or sights of Glen Innes). On Saturday there will be an opportunity to move on and extend your fossicking activities with a base camp at Copeton Dam (diamonds, topaz, quartz, tin, sapphires, gold, etc). Seminar Registration 2014 Complete and return this form without payment. Payment is to be made on arrival at Glen Innes. Send to: AFG Seminar Registration, PO Box 302, Armidale NSW 2350 Surname: ………………………….. Given Name ……………………………….. 2nd Surname: ……………………… Given Name: ……………………………….. Address: ………………………………………………………….. State: …… Postcode: ……. Phone number/s: …………………………………………….. Email: …………………….. Campsite Accommodation: Camping Site Fees: Powered: $15 per night. Unpowered: $12 per night. Nights ……… Arriving: ……………. Departing: …………… Camping Cost: (Nights x Fee) $ ….... Please tick if you need to be close to toilets Long power leads may be required (some may be 10 amp outlets – be prepared) Please tick the appropriate boxes and fill in the numbers attending each activity. Saturday Sessions: $25.00 (Single or Family) Number …… $ ….... Sunday Sessions: $25.00 (Single or Family) Number …… $ ….... Saturday Night Dinner: Number Attending: …… @ $30.00 per person. $ ….... GemCad Session (Beginner) Number Attending: …… @ $10.00 per person $ ….... GemCad Session (Advanced): Number Attending: ….. $ ….... @ $10.00 per person Total Cost (payable on arrival) $ ….... Field trips: Please tick one or more so that we can plan numbers and guides: Yarrow Creek - sapphires, zircons, topaz, tin, quartz and gold (Entry fee $20 per day). Mole Tabeland – beryl, quartz (smoky and citrine), topaz, fluorite, + minerals Sara River (Kookabookra) – good tourist drive and picnic spot (gold and gemstones) 26 Facet Talk Number 197 AFG 2014 Seminar Program 5 – 7 September – Glen Innes FRIDAY - 5 September GemCad for Beginners - 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. This is for those who are beginning or still finding their way with GemCad. A computer is essential for this workshop. Cost: $10. Advanced GemCad. 8:30am – 3:00pm. Modifying existing designs; Creating shapes and symmetry; New designs, preforms, sequencing and designing for yield. Cost: $10. AGM. Annual General Meeting of the Australian Facetors’ Guild at 5:30 pm in the dining area. SATURDAY - 6 September Main Lecture Room is the main shed for all sessions unless noted otherwise. See advertised times at the Seminar. 8.30 8.45 – 09.45 Welcome and Opening of 33rd AFG Seminar Fossicking in the NT - Garry Gatfield 09.45 – 10.15 Cutting Corners: Revisiting Step Cuts - John Broadfoot (Lecture) 10.15 – 11.00 Morning tea (45 minutes) 11.00 – 11.30 Cutting Corners: Revisiting Step Cuts - John Broadfoot (continued) 11.30 – 12.30 Beryl - John Hoffman 12.30 – 1.30 LUNCH 1.30 – 2.15 Liz Taylor’s Jewellery – Wayne Kelly 2.15 – 3.00 Selecting Rough – Brian Pepperal 3.00 – 3.30 Afternoon tea (45 minutes) 3.30 – 4.15 Freehand faceting – Bob Maher 5.30 6.00 for 6.30 AFG Annual General Meeting Dinner at Dining Room and Social Get-together. Facetors’ Memorial will be awarded at Dinner SUNDAY - 7 September 8.45 – 09.45 Gemmology for Facetors – Lecture - Jim Jeavons 9.45 – 10.15 Gemmology for Facetors – Practical - Jim Jeavons 10.15 – 11.00 Morning tea (45 minutes) 11.00 – 11.30 Gemmology for Facetors – Practical - Jim Jeavons 11.45 – 12.30 Fossicking in Old Records and Reports - Garry Gatfield 12.30 – 1.30 LUNCH 1:30 – 3.00 Demonstrations of other Techniques – various booths with demonstrators x x x x Skin polishing gemstones Cutting star sapphires Cleaning, surfacing and charging laps TBA Collect Competition Stones at 2:15 pm 3.00 – 3.30 3:30 Q and A session. Venue and Theme for 2015. Chair: Graham Kinsela Cleanup - Volunteers please Monday 8 to Friday 12 September Fossicking and Sightseeing Trips Four to five fossicking trips will be available. Registration for fossicking will be done during the Seminar. Some may be run more than once. All will be tag – along. Most will have conventional vehicle access. Levels of difficulty will vary. Some have a fee as they are on private property. Please indicate interest on the registration form to enable planning. Final registration will be at the Seminar. This list is NOT FINAL and may change due to availability of guides, access and rainfall. Trips will include: Yarrow Creek and Mount Mitchell (full day) - sapphires, zircons, topaz, tin, quartz and gold (Entry fee $20 per day); Mole Tabeland and Emmavile Museum (full day) – beryl, quartz (smoky and citrine), topaz, fluorite, + minerals; Sara River - Kookabookra (½ to full day) – good tourist drive and picnic spot (gold and gemstones). May - June 2014 27 TOM THUMB FACETING MACHINE FEATURES x x x Variable Speed Motor, Forward & Reverse Rack & Pinion to raise and lower Head Rack and pinion mast to raise and lower head - same post and head as the Patriot x Protractor with 1/10 degree vernier x Stainless steel splash bowl INCLUDES x 96 Index Wheel x 12 Brass Dops, 3mm to 8mm, Including Flat, Cone & V dops x 45 Degree Angle Dop x Transfer Jig AVAILABLE FROM Gemcuts Pty Ltd 34 Smith Drive, Ballina NSW 2478 Ph 02 6681 1686 www.gemcuts.com.au We also have wide range of Faceting needs – Check our web site for laps, diamond blades, diamond grits, faceting rough and much more - including Epifill (a moisture resistant alternative epoxy to Tite-on). $ 2650 including GST Designed and manufactured by Jersey Instruments, 805 Halstead Ct. Huntsville Al. 35803 USA 28 Facet Talk Number 197 Gem Shows - Protecting the Brand James Jeavons, FGA Editor: This is a letter to the editor. Any comments should be referred to the author. The following article is not going to be received well by some of the readers. If you or members of your show or club committees are offended at the implications then good. It is written to be confrontational. It’s written to make you think. It’s written in the hope that some of you will take your heads out of the sand and start thinking about the reputation of your show and gem shows in general. I have just finished a number of shows, North Brisbane, Minerama, Redcliffe as both an Inside Stall holder and Show Convener of the NBLC Gem and Jewellery Show. Incidents both at and after these shows as well as incidents at other shows last year have me concerned about the degree of apathy which clubs show towards their shows in relation to how the public views them and the negative publicity which continues to be generated because of that apathy. My wife and I have never advertised our business preferring to rely on word of mouth. At a time when lots of other jewellery businesses are struggling we are knocking back work. Word of mouth advertising is a very powerful media but, just as easily as it can work for you, it can work against you. Word of mouth was the second most common way for people to find out about the NBLC Show. With modern technology it no longer relies on people actually physically talking to each other to spread opinions of a show, but opinions can be spread quickly and to a far larger audience via social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter or texted to friends and families. As you may have seen sometimes comments go viral and can be seen not by hundreds or thousands but hundreds of thousands of people. Not very good if it was a NEGATIVE comment about your gem show. Examples I want to give you some examples, and as you read them I want you to put yourself in the buyer’s position and decide if you were them would you tell your friends to go to a gem show and buy with confidence. I will simply say stall holder here but it may refer to either an inside or outside stall holder. 1. After the NBLC show a person who had bought a ruby approached me as her jeweller told her it was glass filled. She had bought from a stall holder as heated only. It is glassed filled and worth a fraction of what she paid. The stall holder used “Let the buyer beware” as his defence and reason not to refund the money. He did refund the money after being threatened with legal action. 2. I am standing at a stall whilst a stall holder tells a member of the public that he believes the opals, he is selling, are from Lightening Ridge. I pick one up and ask him what type of synthetic it is. Needless to say the buyer left in disgust. The seller knew they were synthetic. 3. When I spoke to the management of that show they said they would “Keep an eye on him”. He was still selling them unmarked, to the public, when the show closed on Sunday. 4. At a Redcliffe show a stall holder was selling 2 3ct Pink “Sapphires” from Madagascar for $90 each. I travel to Madagascar for rough and can’t buy the rough from the mines for less than $70/ct. Do the maths. They were all synthetics. 5. Cut Red Topaz, $10, being sold as natural untreated, and the same goes for most pink topaz as well as the treated varieties such as mystic. The stall holders even want to argue with me for stuffing their sales up. 6. Bi-coloured, blue/yellow, blue/green, orange /green quartzes being sold as naturals. 7. A person at Minerama was sent to me after paying $800/ct for an untreated ruby. It had more glass than ruby. 8. Quartz of all the right colours, but unfortunately still with a visible seed crystal, being sold as natural. 9. Blue topaz, London, swiss, and sky, being sold as natural coloured topaz. 10. Dyed Howlite being sold as Turquoise. 11. Yowah Nodules with the middle carved out and synthetic opal inserted being sold as natural. 12. Opal doublets and triplets being sold as solids. Really I could fill pages on the misinformation, misrepresentation and in some cases flat out fraud being perpetrated on members of the public who visit the gem shows. I must check at least 20 items a show for members of the public and I would estimate about 40% are not what they were sold as or were misrepresented especially with regards to treatments. If I check 20 items then how many more people are leaving the shows only to find out later that they were ripped off? Do you really think they are saying nice things about gem shows? No. I’ve even had members of the clubs running the shows point out to me the shonky stall holders but they do nothing about them nor do their management committees. With more stall holders buying online and selling material without knowing what they are buying, not being able to ID it themselves and not getting it checked, this problem is only going to get worse. Add that some stall holders just don’t care and will not change labels even when told of their error and we are creating a situation where negative advertising is generated. Continued page 29 Due to technical problems Len Horwood of LENSON FACETING MACHINES has changed his email address to [email protected] May - June 2014 Legal Responsibilities and ACCC Now a common reply from Clubs when I have mentioned this problem is: “We only provide the venue and can’t be responsible for what the stall holders sell”. I can just about guarantee that were I to pose this as a hypothetical situation to 10 lawyers I would get 20 different answers. One of the answers I did get though was that if you charge admission you have a duty of care to those people who pay to attend. But who really cares about a club’s legal responsibilities? If we want the public to come to the shows and spend money, we have to provide as safe an environment as possible for them to do so. Without the public, stall holders won’t come and we won’t have a gem show. There are very specific rules governing the sale of gemstones and jewellery, issued by the ACCC. In brief if a gemstone has anything done to it besides cleaning, cutting and polishing it has been treated it must be “CLEARLY” labelled as such. No confusing terminology, no “it’s a common treatment everyone knows”, no “I bought it as such and therefore I’m selling it as that” and no “LET THE BUYER BEWARE”. If fraud can be proved, i.e., the seller was selling gemstone A, but KNEW it was really gemstone B or a treated A, then it is fraud and can be prosecuted by the police. If it is sold unknowingly or it can’t be proved the seller knew, then the seller can still be prosecuted by the Office of Fair Trading, if they refuse to refund the purchase price in full. Either way this is going to generate negative publicity. What is the problem with Show Committees and Club Management? Are we afraid of causing a disturbance? We don’t want to upset Stall Holders? We don’t know how to handle the situation? The seller is a club member? Possible solutions One solution could be to include some clauses relating to the proper labelling of items for sale in accordance with the ACCC rules. List what stall holders are required to do if something is found to be labelled incorrectly or labelled in a confusing or incorrect manner. List the consequences for stall holders who refuse to take such items off display or relabel them. What are the consequences for stall holders selling items knowingly defrauding the public. I have some suggestions that I am happy to share with clubs if they wish to consider them. However you must be prepared to enforce them. I can with some confidence, having spoken to many stall holders about this problem, state that no stall holder who cares about their personal or business reputation would have any problem signing a contract that has similar Terms and Conditions as suggested. Neither would they refuse to refund a buyer if they unwittingly sold something that was not as labelled. Most would bend over backwards to correct an error to protect their reputations and if they were upset at all it would be because they, the stall holder, had been had. Approximately 95% of stall holders fall into this category. 29 Then there is that other 5%, the shonky stall holders. The ones that won’t change labels unless forced to do so, the ones deliberately perpetrating fraud on the buyers, the ones that think the public should pay for their mistakes because they were ripped off. These are the ones we need to weed out and get out of our shows. These are the ones we need to tell other clubs about. I continue to hear negative opinions of gem shows even by people that have never been to one. They have friends who were deceived or they have heard “things” and would prefer to shop at a jewellery store where everything is “real”. Numbers at some shows are dropping and can’t completely be laid at the door of the GFC or the looming election. The negative publicity is out there and is influencing whether people come to a gem show or not. It is a problem that is getting worse. Clubs need to start thinking about how to address this problem and then actually start doing something. There is even now unfortunately a Face Book page, Gem Show Scams, which has been started, luckily with only one post to date. Lava Plains Mine Changes Hands The historical Thai Mine on Lava Plains Station, North Queensland, previously operated by Coolamon Mines has been taken over by the Mt Rosey Mining Company. Mt Rosey intends to further develop the mine and explore the Lava Plains Region for gemstones. The mine is not accessible to the public. For further information contact Michael McCann on 0412 281 637 or by email at [email protected] Fossicking Fossickers can access the Lava Plains Fossicking Area which is managed by Lava Plains Station. To arrange access contact Heath Harrington on 07 4097 1451 before 6:30 am and after 7:30 pm. (It is a working station.) CAT LAP – SPECIAL LAP An outstanding hard alloy lap Solid casting – no aluminium backing. Suitable for polishing most gem materials. These laps are 10 mm thick – not 6 mm like some others! $145 plus P & P Machine Servicing and upgrades, Replacement quills, Transfer jigs and Dops Phone for further information Horst Ricker 21 Sandys Track, Rubyvale Phone: 07 4985 4104 or Mobile: 0417 854104. 30 Facet Talk Number 197 Membership Report AFG 20 Year Club Steve Elliott, Membership Secretary AFG Current members who joined the Guild in 1994 will become members of the 20 Year Club at the Annual General Meeting on 6th September in Glen Innes. Our records show the following financial members joined in 1994 and have had continuous membership since that date. If your name is not listed below and you feel you should be included, please contact Noel Warrell with the details of when you joined. Contact details are listed on page 34 of this Facet Talk. The following changes have occurred in the Membership Base. On Behalf of the Guild I welcome the new Members listed here, and hope they enjoy the benefits offered by the Guild. Please remember to include your name and Membership number on the transaction description when paying by Eftpos. If I can’t identify you, I cannot update your membership record. Mailed payments should be sent to Membership Secretary PO BOX 665 Wonthaggi Vic 3995 Please note the email address of the membership Officer is [email protected] New Members Brian & Liz Boyle Ballina Gordon Delarue Woolgoolya Bill Fraser Burpengary East Nev Glynn Kedron Peter Kinder Para Hills Joy Whittaker Swan Reach Naera Wilton Tokoroa Change of Address John Mackenzie Berry Russell Maguire Hcm City Richard Richards Acacia Ridge Resigned Gemhunters Haven Drayton North Pty Ltd Deceased John Wren Mount Waverley NSW NSW QLD QLD SA VIC NZ NSW 2535 Vietnam QLD 4110 QLD 4350 VIC 3149 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1999 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2013 First Name John Surname Location State Bensted Albion QLD George John Chechlowski Cunningham Brighton-Le-Sands Bundaberg NSW QLD John Max Mary Colin Groundstroem Heckenberg Hwee Mayfield Bundaberg North Alice Springs Noranda Keith QLD NT WA SA John Dave Oakman Radke Narara Toowoomba South NSW QLD Kerry Roy Royce Keith Burt Ruff Sawers Smith Spall Warry Red Hill Mail Centre Maiden Gully Port Macquarie Newmarket Maryborough QLD VIC NSW QLD QLD QUALITY GEM ROUGH SUPPLIES Glenn Huntley LIFE MEMBERS 1984 1986 1987 2478 2456 4505 4031 5096 3903 Members who joined in 1994 as at 27th April 2014 Peter Collins (dec) Michael Saclier Ray Sainsbury Ian Sobbe Bob Mount (dec) Marcus Winley (dec) Norman Steele (dec) Bob Long Patricia Collins John & Hazel Broadfoot Myrtle Parker (dec) Ron Parker Judy Tuffley Jack Tuffley (dec) Tony Annear OAM (dec) Ern Haywood (dec) Laurie Hall John Tunzi Nelson Robertson Don Henson Peter & Moya Stringfellow Noel & Ann Warrell FINEST QUALITY FACETING ROUGH IN BOTH NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC MATERIAL Faceted Stones Opal Rough Free Shapes Opal Solids & Triplets Calibrated FREE FACETING ROUGH PRICE LIST AVAILABLE MASTERCARD, VISA AND AMEX ACCEPTED PO Box 3841 Marsfield NSW 2122 Phone: 02 9888 1261 Fax: 02 9888 1063 EMAIL: [email protected] May - June 2014 Branch Reports AFG Vic Branch Report 2014 16-19 May Shepparton Workshop, Kialla Scout Hall, Kialla. 8-11 August Bendigo Workshop, Maiden Gully Comm Hall. 21-24 November Beechworth Workshop, The Old Priory, Information is available from Graham Young Ph. (03) 9363 1803. Mobile: 0487 283 598. Email: [email protected]: Pat Marley MORETON BAY BRANCH Meeting started at 9.30 am with 14 members in attendance. Marilyn George presented her Treasurers report. General discussion was held on prepolish laps, grits and various polishing laps and powders/spray diamond. There is a change of venue for the August 3 meeting. This is now at the Mt Gravatt Clubrooms. Change your yearly planner now! Graham Mclean talked about the Gemboree at Gatton and what we can expect there. June 1 Michelton Club August 3 Mt Gravatt Club October 5 Michelton Club November 30 Mt Gravatt Club (Xmas Do). May your points always meet. Contact Trevor Wright for further information contact Ross on 07 3300 1396 SUNSHINE COAST BRANCH Well, another Gemboree has come and gone and, as it was in Gatton this year, I and another of our members were able to attend and catch up with old friends and aquantances not seen for a long time. It was also a chance to meet Glenn Huntley who now owns 'Quality Gem Rough Supplies'. Our last meeting was quite well attended and we were able to discuss many fossicking areas, both old and new. Our next meeting will be on Sunday, 15 June 2014 at 1 pm at the Suncoast Gem Club's premises, Syd Lingard Drive, Buderim, and of course everyone interested in faceting is welcome to attend. New members are always especially welcome. We look forward to seeing you all again soon and if you have any queries please feel free to contact me either by email: [email protected] or phone 07 5445 3932. Ruth Grandcourt GOLD COAST BRANCH 14 members attended our last group meeting. Cutting diagrams for International challenge were finalised and proof cut stones on display. Clarrie Trevena displayed his new own design faceting machine which created a lot of interest within the group. Next meeting 3rd June. President Graeme Kinsela hopes to be with us. Meeting dates for 2014: 3 June 5 August 7 October 2 December For further information contact Rod Turville 07 5539 4450. E-mail: [email protected] 31 DARLING DOWNS BRANCH A meeting of the branch was held at the Toowoomba Lapidary Club on April 14 2014. Eight members were present. A facetors’ workshop was held prior to the meeting. Attendance was down with only four machines set up on the day. However a good exchange of information and ideas took place. During the formal meeting the Gemcad Workshop to be conducted by Bob Boddington was set for Sunday June 8 2014 commencing at 9,00am. Please bring your Laptop. The dates for the 2014 meetings of the branch are as follows: Sunday 9 June Sunday 11 August Sunday 13 October Sunday 8 December The venue for meetings is the Toowoomba Lapidary Club at 4 William Street, Toowoomba at 2.00pm. Contact for the Darling Downs Branch is Neville Kleidon – Ph. 4613 4507. Jim Edmonds TOWNSVILLE BRANCH Future meeting dates for 2014, topics to be confirmed th Saturday 14 June 2014 Saturday 13th September 2014 th Saturday 6 December 2014 Meetings are held at Townsville Gem and Mineral Club house in Money Street. Contact: Gary Cattle. [email protected] Home 07 4774 5192. Mobile 0417 828 972 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH New members and visitors are most welcome. Should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact our club chairman Bob Kay on 08 8261 6722. WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH Contact Richard Dunn, Warnbro, WA. Phone 08 9593 0834 SYDNEY BRANCH The Sydney group meets again on May 18 for its’ next workshop & general meeting. There are 2 more workshops planned for the remainder of the year: Aug 17 Nov 16 So come along and have a great day. For information phone the Secretary, Paul Sabolta, 0415211478 or e-mail [email protected] All meetings will be held at the Parramatta Holroyd Lapidary Clubrooms, 73 Fullagar Rd, Wentworthville, NSW. NORTH-EAST NSW GROUP WIDE BAY BURNETT BRANCH The next meeting of the North-East NSW group will be held on Saturday 31 May at the Lismore Gem and Lapidary Club rooms (Lismore Showground) beginning at 10am. The meeting is one week later than normal because of the Lismore GEMFEST on May 17 and 18. The main topic will be “Use of gemmological equipment”. All members are invited to bring along such equipment and offer advice on its use. We will also have some equipment borrowed from Gemcuts for the day. Information is available from Barry Chapman on 0407 628 910. Email: [email protected] - Use Subject line AFG. Contact: Bruce Copper Phone 02 6688 8280 The competition stone is amethyst – cutter's choice of design. 32 Facet Talk Number 197 Letters to the Editor Please send your comments and any answers to questions to the Editor for publication in Facet Talk. Disclaimer Opinions expressed by contributors to Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of the Guild or its officers. Further, neither the AFG, the Board of Directors nor the Editor of Facet Talk is responsible for liability arising from errors, omissions or mistakes contained in these letters and readers are warned to proceed cautiously, especially with respect to any technical information or advice for which the Guild and the Editor does not warrant the accuracy and disclaims all liability. For the purposes of brevity, accuracy and clarification the Editor may reword and/or correct parts. Judging & Rules Report I would like to hear from members on how they measure “Girdle Thickness” when cutting stones for competitions. I put an article in FT193 on this issue with regards to using a graticule loupe and how to work out the girdle thickness from the GemCad diagram. I have received some comments that some competitors feel they were penalised unfairly and would like to get a broader picture of the concern from as may cutters as possible. Please send comments to J&R Chairman, Paul Sabolta via e-mail [email protected] What’s On Please let me know of AFG Workshops and Gem shows in your area so that they can be listed. MAY 24 31 Mt Gravatt Gem Show, Mt Gravatt Club House 8am - 4pm 1873 Logan Rd., Mt Gravatt. Gunyah Club Lapidary Display, Mt Cootha 9am 4pm JUNE 21 28 Deception Bay Gem Show, at Community hall 9am-3pm Cnr Ewart St., & Raymond Tce Gold Coast Gem & Craft Show, 80 Pacific Ave, 8.30 - 3pm, Miami, Pizzey Park. JULY 12 - 13 Hervey Bay Club Gem Show Sat 9am - 5pm AUGUST 2 Ipswich & Dist, Lap Club Show, Ipswich Show 8am-3pm, Grounds Warwick Rd Ipswich 7 - 10 Anakie Gemfest, Anakie Central Qld 15 – 16 Goldfest, Clermont CQ SEPTEMBER 1 – 12 AFG Seminar (5- 7), Workshops (1 – 4) and Fossicking (8 – 12), Glen Innes Showgrounds. 13 – 14 Bendigo Gemarama (see below) 27 Sunshine Coast jewellery & Gem Show (below) 2016 International Faceting Competition The 2016 IFC schedule is in its final draft stages and should be ready for release at the Seminar in September. Hervey Bay Gem and Mineral Club Inc. Faceting Competition 2014 “Charity Cut For a Cause” in aid of Prostate Cancer Cancer Ribbon Cut All stones entered in the section (O.10.3) The Cancer Ribbon Cut will be donated to the cause and auctioned for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Auction on Sunday 13 July 2014 at 12 noon All proceeds of the auction are to be donated to The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. This is a charity driven competition. We hope you will get behind the concept and give it your full support. For more information and the Schedule contact: Wayne Kelly. Mob: 0411 105 591 Email: [email protected] Download the full schedule from: http:/herveybay.lapidaryclub.com.au Bendigo Gem Club 2014 annual GEMARAMA and Exhibition 13 & 14 September 2014 Saturday 10am - 5pm and Sunday 10am - 4pm. Kangaroo Flat Leisure Centre Browning St, Kangaroo Flat. Gems and Minerals for sale. Demonstrations of Silver smithing, gem cutting and the fun kids fossicking trailer. Fluorescent Rocks and Minerals. Traders from up and down the east coast of Australia and International traders to supply all your lapidary needs. Refreshments by Y's Ladies. Adults $5 entry Children FREE. Sunshine Coast Jewellery & GEM Show 2014 Saturday, 27 September. 8.30am-- 4.00 pm. Hosted by Caloundra Lapidary Club Inc. Held at Caloundra State Primary School, Queen St. Regent St. and George St. Well stocked stall holders and dealers are in the auditorium plus undercover basketball stadium. Grassed and hard stand areas for large numbers of Tailgater’s. Polished Agate & petrified woods, Carvings, Jewellery, Faceted Gemstones, Crystals, Rocks & Mineral specimens, Fossils from around the world. Demonstrations of lapidary crafts and skills. Supplies, findings, tools Refreshments will be available, there is wheelchair access and plenty of parking, ATM on site For more information 0417634205 Email. [email protected] May - June 2014 33 34 Facet Talk Number 197 BOARD OF DIRECTORS - EXECUTIVE BRANCH & GROUP CONTACTS President: Graham Kinsela, Bray Park, Qld. Phone 0417 770 841. E-mail: [email protected] Vice-President: Paul Sabolta, Sydney N.S.W. Phone 0415 211 478. E-mail: [email protected] Secretary: Noel Warrell, PO Box 722 ,Warwick, Qld. 4370 Mobile: 0429 860 923. E-mail: [email protected] Treasurer: Neville Smith, Maitland, NSW. Phone 0407 016 896. E-mail: [email protected] STATE DIRECTORS New South Wales: Les Sinclair, Armidale, NSW. Phone: 02 6772 5752. Email: [email protected] Queensland: Graham McLean, Yamanto, Qld Phone 07 3288 9883. Email: [email protected] Tasmania: Lee-Anne Ames-Smith, Newstead, Tas. Phone 03 6344 2092. Email: [email protected] Victoria: Ed Allison, Vic. Phone 0438 788 363. Email: [email protected] Western Australia: Richard Dunn, Warnbro, WA Phone 08 9593 0834. Email: [email protected] South Australia: Bob Kay, Windsor Gardens, Phone 08 , E-mail: [email protected] SPECIAL OFFICERS Membership Secretary: Steve Elliott Phone: Phone AH: 03 5664 3155. E-mail: [email protected] Supplies Officer: Steve Bell, 22 Kittani Cr. Ashmore 4214 Phone:0409 723 270. E-mail: [email protected] Education Officer: John Broadfoot, Phone 0429 692 904. c/o AFG Secretary, PO Box 722, Warwick, Qld. 4370 E-mail: [email protected] Facet Talk Editor: John Broadfoot, Phone 0429 692 904. c/o AFG Secretary, PO Box 722, Warwick, Qld. 4370 E-mail: [email protected] 2014 SEMINAR COMMITTEE Chair: Les Sinclair, Armidale, NSW. Phone 0427 725 752 E-mail: [email protected] Program: John Broadfoot, Innes Park Qld. Phone 0429 692 904 Email: [email protected] COMPETITION COMMITTEES 2014 Competition Committee: Coordinator: Bob Boddington, PO Box 414, Drayton North, 4350Ph. 0427 463 012. Email: [email protected] 2016 International Challenge: TO BE ADVISED Please contact the appropriate director or officer for all general enquiries regarding membership and renewals, supplies, competitions, etc. OVERSEAS CONTACTS USA: Jill Rowlands, Houston Texas Phone 713 728 4912 UK: Anthony Burston, Timsbury, Bath Phone 01761 471509 CANADA: Alwyn Lawrence, Ontario Canada Phone 416 269 5010 JUDGING PANEL Paul Sabolta (Chairperson), Sydney NSW Phone 02 9674 4641 Graham McLean, Yamanto, Qld. Phone 07 3288 9883 Darling Downs Neville Kleidon, Toowoomba, Qld. Phone 0419 664 181 Gold Coast Rod Turville, Ashmore, Qld. Phone 07 5539 4450 Email: [email protected] Hervey Bay Barry Chapman, Hervey Bay, Qld. Phone 0407 628 910 Email: [email protected] Moreton Bay Ross Dunlop. Phone 07 3300 1396. Email: [email protected] Sunshine Coast Ruth Grandcourt, Buderim, Qld. Phone 07 5445 3932 Townsville Owen Wyer, [email protected] Ph. 0409 646 851 Gary Gattle, [email protected] Ph. 0417 828 972 North-East NSW Bruce Copper, Jiggi, NSW. Phone 02 6688 8280 Don MacDonald, Pottsville, NSW. Phone 02 6676 1858 Hunter Region Neville Smith, Maitland, NSW. Phone 0407 016 896 Email: [email protected] Sydney Paul Sabolta, Sydney, NSW. Phone 0415 211 478 Email: [email protected] Canberra & District Group Alan Leonard, Calwell, ACT. Phone 02 6292 6191 Northern Territory Kerry Ruff, Alice Springs, NT. Phone 08 8956 9855 South Australia Bob Kay, Salisbury, SA. Phone 08 7007 7483 Email: [email protected] Tasmania Lee-Anne Ames-Smith, Newstead, Tas. Phone 03 6344 2092 Victoria Graham Young, Deer Park, Vic. Phone 03 9363 1803. Mobile: 0487 283 598. Email: [email protected] AFG Warragul & District Facetors Group Contact: Stacy May. Email: [email protected] Western Australia Richard Dunn, Warnbro, WA. Phone 08 9593 0834 Overseas Newsletters and Journals These websites of our exchange partners are worth a visit as some material and designs is in the public domain. United Kingdom Facetors’ Guild - Stonechat http://www.ukfcg.org United States Faceters’ Guild http://www.usfacetersguild.org Columbia-Willamette Faceters Guild (Oregon USA) - Facets http://www.facetersguild.com North York Faceting Guild (Canada) http://www.NorthYorkFacetingGuild.com VancouverIslandFaceters’Guild ROLL OF HONOUR 2004 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 Ralph Westen Gwen Johnston Gayle Merrick David Evans Don Randell June Randell (dec) Videos on Faceting http://www.australasiangems.net/faceting-videos/ Charity Cut for Cause Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer Awareness Raffle has a $5000 pendent (pictured below) as first prize. It has an 11.7 ct synthetic blue spinel (Cancer Ribbon Cut) in 9 carat yellow and white gold with diamonds. Second prize is a gents 9 ct yellow gold ring with a 7.25 ct synthetic corundum valued at $2750. Raffle tickets are $2.00 each or book of 10 for $16. Available from Wayne Kelly. Ph 0411 105 591. Email: [email protected] Drawn 12 noon Sunday 13 July at Hervey Bay Gem and Jewellery EXPO, Star of the Sea Catholic School, Hervey Bay. See page 32 for more details. Prizes kindly donated and manufactured by Vin Moulds and Sons, Winstanley St, Carina. Phone: 07 3324 9700 Gatton Gemboree 2014 Tailgaters AFG News Kel (Kelpie) Smith passed away on 2 May. He was an outstanding contributor to the AFG and the local Lapidary Clubs and produced many designs for faceting. He will be missed by the faceting fraternity. See vale page 14. AFG Faceting Courses move South Dealers Ed Allison (Victorian Director) has held the second AFG Faceting Course at Warragul, Victoria. In a move to expand and conduct training to other parts of Australia members of the Guild are encouraged to conduct these courses on behalf of the Guild. Anyone interested in conducting the courses should contact the Education Officer, John Broadfoot for further information. Pictured below are the successful participants from the Warragul area from left: Stacey May, Alicia Cornwall, Margaraet Ricardo and Ed Allison. Fossils Artifacts - Arrow heads from Rub Al Kahli in the Great Arabian Desert Silver Filigree by George Weier 1st and 2nd in the Section Minerals Tormaline on Aquamarine