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 Post subject: Gem silica Inspiration mine pendent...
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 9:02 pm 
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This is the finished gem silica pendent, 23.5cts, good color in 14kt yellow gold. The gold work is detailed in that the 3 corners are notched, formed & resoldered in gold. The bail & stem give the pendent a little more length & the finish is well done-a pendent I will wear- :shock: 8)


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 Post subject: Re: Gem silica Inspiration mine pendent...
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 9:17 pm 
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Location: San Francisco
Really a beautiful stone. What do you know about the Inspiration Mine?


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 Post subject: Re: Gem silica Inspiration mine pendent...
PostPosted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 7:43 am 
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I know only what I read about the Inspiration mine & it closing about 1983, and the surrounding town is now gone with only a visitors center open to people interested in the history. In its prime the material that was taken, smuggled out, with the copper ore was said to be the best of color anywhere. People who got rough from parents or miners in the 1900's, early, have shown some beautiful material with prices wholesale for good cut stone in the $400.00/ct wholesale range if one can find it for sale. My cutter for this stone offered me a stone, just cut by him, from his personnel stash of rough. The color in this stone is a little better than the smaller stone I have already and the size is almost unheard of for this material. Stones cut from the inspiration rough usually have a good story with the stone. Etsy sellers are quick to tell of grandparents smuggling good rough out of the mine in old wrappings or lunch pails & kept in family collections for years. Ray mine material is out for the taking, but supplies are limited too. The Peruvian material is in good supply with a different, less blue color. My cutter tells me he has some of the largest amounts of rough on the east coast but I have nothing to compare that info with.
Apparently he has a good amount because he cuts several stones per month & these are quickly bought up by mostly Asians who seem to buying quite a bit of good stones from everywhere. I consider myself lucky to have what I have & a gold smith who builds frames, by hand, to fine finished items-stevie... :) 8)


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 Post subject: Re: Gem silica Inspiration mine pendent...
PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2016 8:21 pm 
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I was looking at the stone in the sun light & was amazed at the glow from the entire stone as the sun penetrated the cutting, it seemed to glow as a ruby in UV light & Im showing the translucent qualities of the cutting also, I was really surprised at the effect I saw today-steve... :shock: 8)


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