Since we have had steady rain here for the last few days, I decided to tackle the mound of interesting rock that She With The Agate Eye had found and wanted cut. (Hey, what can I say- she buys me new blades!). Several of the pieces were sagenite and plume agate, not my favourite but she loves 'em. Most were stuff I'd seen before but then I got to these two very pleasant surprises. Normally, the plume agate doesn't polish very well because the plume areas are a little soft but this one...well, see for yourself!
Not only is the patterning outstanding, it polished to an absolute glass finish. And the best part is that just below the glass surface in the clear areas, are crystal druzy pockets that cause the stone to sparkle as it moves. It is about 4 cm. in height. This is absolutely one of the most beautiful cabs I've ever made and I have three more pieces to work with. It demands a very special setting.
This next piece was from a rounded end cut and all I had to do was smooth it out a bit and define a shape.
Again, the patterning and colour are fantastic and it has polished to a glass finish when I went to 50K diamond paste. Vickie, who among about a thousand other talents is a very accomplished abstract artist, has "borrowed" this piece for inspiration.
This is why I love cutting rock because as Forrest Gump says, " You never know WHAT you're gonna get!"
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