January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
Welcome to the GemologyOnline.com Forum
A non-profit Forum for the exchange of gemological ideas
It is currently Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:10 am

All times are UTC - 4 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 161 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 12:02 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm
Posts: 576
Location: N Dakota
Here it is nearly March! The sun is back almost 12 hours of daylight again. Last of the sub zero weather should be behind us. Put together a couple of necklace pendent designs. One using a simple fan with freshwater pearls for accents. The other is a bit more involved. The design is worked out but now the bench needs to come together.
The simple process of this pendant will require me to make a coin ring. Secure a octahedron to a double post. Set accent stones between a pair of rings. Solder the parts together. Make sure the octahedron spins freely when it's done. Each part seems to require a different set of tools and skill set. The entire pendent shouldn't take an hour to assemble. We shall see.
Of course the classes continue, another stone set to go through. 20 stones to determine what if any treatments are present. At least they are large enough to see.
Gem ID lab is pd for so now I can attend that in April. Excited about that! I still need to acquire a fiber optic light source. Flights and hotels first, lights when I get back.
2 1/2 years into this and a GG degree is within sight. 50% complete with the last course of gem ID and I even snuck in the pearls courses.

_________________
Dan


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 9:22 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm
Posts: 576
Location: N Dakota
Spending the week at GIA Carlsbad enjoying the colored stone ID lab. The 6 months spent in this course so far make this lab a great clean up. Refresher on equipment and proceedures, figuring out a few tricks to making tools more useful. Great fun, good people in the group, and familiar faces for instructors.
Discussed career options with counselors a bit. Appraisals seem to be the best direction for the next step in education. Unfortunately GIA isn't in that line up
So I will be looking for training elsewhere. Suggestions for options here would be nice to have.
The project lives on.

_________________
Dan


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 10:26 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21600
Location: San Francisco
Going to the Sinkankas Symposium this Saturday?
I'll be there. :D


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 8:38 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm
Posts: 576
Location: N Dakota
Sorry Barbra, going airmail this Saturday. Sianara so Cal. It's back to the frozen tundra for me.

_________________
Dan


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 12:07 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm
Posts: 576
Location: N Dakota
Life seems to have cought up with me. Beginning of Feb I thought I had strained some muscles in my upper back and shoulders. It never seemed to really get any better. By April when took my labs at GIA it was a constant distraction. Well it's now June and the doc tells me it's herniated discs and a deteriorating arthritic disc or 2 that need to be repaired or permanent damage will be the result. Yeah! I'm so thrilled to have cervical pins plates and rods installed. This just after my youngest son asked me to help design and build rings for engagement and wedding! The distraction from the pain is welcome but I worry that I may have to get outside help to get things done as I will be out of commission for 3 months or more. I'm hoping by October I will have recovered to the point I can complete the project by new years.
I will complete this if I have to hold solder in my teeth and a torch in my toes!
Things we do for our kids....

_________________
Dan


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 8:06 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm
Posts: 576
Location: N Dakota
Surgery seems to have gone well. Considering it was on Friday the 13th. Its still a war to stay ahead of the pain. Scheduling out when and how much drugs to take depends on the healing process. The pain without them is excruciating so they are still needed. Just 90 days with this dog collar around my neck.
To help keep my mind busy while im healing my youngest son asked me to make his engagement and wedding rings! We started the process a bit ahead of surgery so i knew i would have a clear head with some of the more important decisions. I sorted about 300ct of Montana sapphires and sent them in for heat treatment. They came back with a few exceptional blue stones to choose from for 4mm accent stones. I had to laugh the first group i sent to my cutter turned out to be too big. I blame that on the drugs. So i sat down and sorted another group of smaller stones. I promptly forgot to mail them. I blame that on the drugs too. Tomorrow, they will fly the friendly skies.
We decided on princess cut center stone of .75ct. A 5x5mm setting paired with 2 round brilliant cut 4mm sapphire accents.
This all sounds nice but we are weaving the bands. Im not entirely sure how that is going to go when it comes time to set the gems. At least we've gone with 18k yellow and not 2 or 3 colors. Soldering that would have been the death of me.
To go along with this i suggested that he give the brides maid and the perspective mother in law a pair of earrings in the style of the weave. So my recovery time should stay fairly busy. Picked up my colored stone id class again as well. Hoping i can knock out a substantial portion of what ive got left in 90 days.

_________________
Dan


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 9:55 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm
Posts: 576
Location: N Dakota
Its labor day weekend, still in a neck brace but finally able to work at least light duty again.
The gem ID stone sets continue to get easier with each set. The grading criteria gets less forgiving with each one as well. It adds to the challenge and the fun. The sets from now on are mixed colors.
I have set up the 10" trim saw and cut ends and slabs from a number of the agates and other stones from the numerous trips down the Yellowstone river in Glendive MT. Nice material, but typical for agates. Also got back 2 Montana sapphires i had cut for a matched pair. A beautiful job of cutting and matching colors. If I could afford to cut them all I would, right now! Maybe a pair a month for now instead.
There isnt a day that goes by I dont think Thank You Barbara for encouraging me to take up classes at GIA.

_________________
Dan


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:10 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21600
Location: San Francisco
Me, Barbra?
If so you are quite welcome.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 11:49 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm
Posts: 576
Location: N Dakota
It's been a bit of a struggle the last 2 years trying to complete my GG. Neck surgery, pneumonia, several new jobs and moves. 10-12 hr days and studying doesn't make for the best experience but in the end it's done. I had 1 day left in the course deadline to take my exam. Passed on my 1st attempt.
I have many here to thank for your encouragement and guidance.

_________________
Dan


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:18 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21600
Location: San Francisco
Good on you for passing that exam.
Take care and keep us in the loop..or loupe.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Project 2015
PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 7:44 pm 
Offline
Gold Member

Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 2:18 am
Posts: 1542
Congratulations!!!!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 161 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

All times are UTC - 4 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Gemology Style ported to phpBB3 by Christian Bullock