Quote:
Originally Posted by mjh215
DixieGal ; An ex-g/f of mine was a rockhound. She got me interested in it. I haven't gone on any digs yet, though I really should when I have the spare dosh. I'm maybe 2 hours from Franklin, NJ.
I like the unusual minerals, and the ones that are all gemmy and shiny 
-MJ
|
LOL! Me too! They say I'm like a bird, because I have to see and touch everyone's jewelry. I hope you are still friendly enough with the GF that she can show you where the big shiny rocks are lurking. Let's talk ROCKS!
I'm lucky enough to be married to a guy who likes gemstones as much as I do. Which translates to a very nice jewelry collection. We like BIG stones, so we started rockhounding not too long ago. You are close enough to NC to go pick up some fist-sized pretty amythests in NC.
www.gemmountain.com We are going on the fossil dig tomorrow, which is actually a charity event to raise money for the division where I work. Next Saturday, the holiday weekend, we plan to go to the aquamarine mine at Hogg Mine in LaGrange, Ga. I think it is their last day for the year, but I could be very wrong.
Right now, we are only tumbling rocks, wirewrapping pendants, and cabbing. Next year, probably in the late spring, I'm going to take Faceting and Tim is taking Silversmithing at the lapidary college. We both prefer gold, but the prereq is silversmithing 1&2 before you can register for goldsmithin.
And that's probably more than you cared to know. I just get sort of extra-happy when it comes to talking about rocks and gemstones. We will probably go on a field trip with the rock club up to Franklin, hopefully sooner rather than later. I've got a gorgeous cabachon pendant of picture rock, set in silver, that came from there. It's not the usual brown desert scene that comes from Oregon, but it is blues and greens, and it makes a fairy glade scene. I got the cab for $5 at a rock show, believe it or not! It's so unusual that I believe it would sell for upwards of $1000 or more - but they would have to pry it out of my cold dead hands to get it away from me!
Today, I'm wearing a brand new pendant that I didn't make because I can't facet. It's a rubellite, emerald cut, ~1 ct, 14k gold, that I found at Gem Mountain. You can get all sorts of sparklies out of the dirt there!