Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:20 pm Posts: 108 Location: Cape Town S.Africa
Thank you for putting me in contact with Ed Bristol-I haven't met him in person yet,but hope to before very long.I have really enjoyed his personal communications and for transferring his knowledge.Cheers Ed.
Thank you also for putting Duncan Miller in contact with me.He came to lunch today and my wife fell in love with him[more later].Such an interesting and knowledgeble[sp?] man.He has 2 PhD's in geology and something else,plus being a well-qualified gemologist,very smart and willing to freely share his knowledge[I think I spelled that right!]We could not believe that we had to make contact via a site in California and he lives a 20min drive from me. I was trying to pick his brains on gemology,but then we discovered he had done work for years on cave paintings,sea levels,ancient shell middens etc for UCT[University of Cape Town]studies and publications about Verlorenvlei[Lost Lake] near Elands Bay on the Western Cape coast.We have a holiday cottage there on a RAMSAR[International Wetlands Site]-where South Africa was settled[by Europeans] long before America was "discovered" by Europeans.Of course,America was not "discovered" but was already populated by native Americans[If politically incorrect term,please edit] and our West Coast by the San.Although my wife is a barrister[lawyer,not sure what it is in USA] her true love is archaeology and geology.She was going to go out and leave us to talk "gems" but,guess what,she totally hijacked the discussion-local geology,botany,tortoises,aardvaarks,porcupines, you name it. Anyway,the long and the short of it is that Duncan and partner will be revisiting Verlorenvlei and staying with us in the near future. So,thank you GO.Much appreciated.
Post subject: Re: Thank You GO for Networking Results
Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 12:22 pm
Valued Contributor
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:20 pm Posts: 108 Location: Cape Town S.Africa
Thanks Gearloose I cannot agree more.We have developed a very good relationship.I had a load of uncut citrines and aqua and he sold most of the citrines for me and cut some of the citrine aqua on a "one for me,one for you basis", which I was very happy with as the cutting cost of them would have been more than the value of the rough. They were all brilliantly[pun intended] cut and we both got some fine stones.The citrine was cut so well that I asked if it was a concave cut.Apparently not. My wife is citrine mad[fortunately not for diamonds,Paraiba tourmaline etc] and immediately grabbed the best citrine. I also met a German guy with Duncan,who is demantoid mad and goes to weird places in Namibia to find rough.He had rough cut in Idar-Oberstein and by Duncan and said there is no comparison for quality. So for any of you who needs cutting done and can get stuff to South Africa without falling foul of the Customs/VAT people,at the rate of current exchange $/Rand,his prices are ridiculous compared to anywhere else and his quality is fabulous and I can vouch for his integrity.If anyone is interested,with his permission I will supply contact details.For him it is more of a hobby than a full-time occupation,so he can spend a lot more time than a commercial operation to get things right. And,by the way,he doesn't give me a commission.
Post subject: Re: Thank You GO for Networking Results
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 1:54 am
Gemology Online Veteran
Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 2:51 am Posts: 755 Location: South Africa
Ray, thanks for the glowing recommendation but I should clarify that I don't usually cut citrine and other low value gems. For the past few years I have specialised in custom cutting Namibian demantoid garnet and other high-value stones, for which I charge what is for South Africa a comparatively high rate - about half the cost of precision faceting in the US and Canada. I don't cut large parcels - generally single stones or a couple at a time. Shipping cut gemstones out of South Africa can be problematic, unless the overseas customer has a courier and linked insurance account and is prepared to take the risk of loss. So I don't anticipate being inundated with overseas requests for work.
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