AAA Gem Grade Malachite

The Other Side

I descovered in looking at this post, that I had put in the wrong photo on the last one, so I tried to edit it...but alas the editing program will not cooperate...so I am posting the photo's of the last piece first..following is the photo of one side.

One Side

I decided to post some of the work I have been doing over the past two days in my work shop and give you a peek at what has been my passion for the last 48 years as a Lapidarian (the Art of cutting and polishing gemstones).

Over the years I have cut all kinds of Gemstones, with top grade Opal being the one I love the best, I have also cut a lot of Malachite of various grades from Africa and I am showing you some today of the very best Top Grade Malachite.

This Malachite is considered AAA Gem Grade, and very rare, as most you see is the banded or striped kind.

All of the pieces except the very first one I have cut to be a Two Sided piece, thus allowing for display in a pendant or something similar on either side.

Click on any image for a larger view and see more details of the patterns.

The first piece is a One Sided piece, it is 51 mm long x 21 mm wide.

This piece could be mounted in a pendant or a bracelet.

This piece is a Two sided piece, the first photo is of one side, the next photo is of the other side.

This is a "Free form" cut, which is used to save the most possible amount of the beautiful patterns.

The piece measures 48 mm long x 10-14 mm in width.

Side One

The Other side

This is another two sided piece,it measures 46 mm in length x 28 mm at it's widest point, it is also considered a "Free Form" piece.

One side

The Other Side

This is another Two Sided piece, also considered a "Free Form" piece.

It measures 47 mm in length x 33 mm at it's widest point.

One Side

The Other Side

Note: The final piece you will find at the top..due to an editing error...

The final piece of Malachite follows, it is 54 mm in length x 10-21 mm in width, it is also a "Free Form" piece and is a Two Sided piece.

This is a Natural Stable piece of very fine Turquoise Nugget that I aquired some years ago and as of yet have not had the heart to cut it up into smaller pieces for mounting into jewelry.

This is not the largest nugget I have, but it is one of the finest.

This Nugget measures 60 mm in length x 37 mm wide x 22 mm thick.

Sky Watch Friday

I am back posting again for Sky Watch Friday after a rather long absence due to some health problems and obligations to other issues.

To view skies from all over the world or to participate, just click on the Logo above.

We have been having a lot of stormy weather recently in the form of very strong thunder storms and torrents of rain (although very much needed ) it makes for quite the challenge to get anything resembling interesting skies when all you see is grey skies.

We however have gotten a break in the storms and now we again see some of Creator's wonderful works of Art in the form of amazing cloud formations and even some great Sunrises and Sunsets.

I am submitting for you viewing pleasure a few photo's of our recent sunset....please feel free to click on the images for a larger and closer view.

Sunset in the West

Just slightly North West

North West

North,( note the large cloud bank just behind the mountain)

A hint of color in the South East

Car Day

Last Saturday after working in the garden in the early morning, I saw several Dodge Chargers go by our cabin here headed towards Lake Lure.

I decided to do a quick change of clothes and grab the camera and go down to the Lake to see if I could get some photos.

All lined up just begging to be photographed

Nice Blue one

A Real Wow Red with stripes

Deep Blue

Silver Grey anyone?

Classic Black

Turquoise Blue

Radical Orange

Front view-Restored Chrysler Imperial

Side view-Restored Chrysler Imperial

A Black Viper

Shocking Red Viper

Next I walked around to the Lake to see what might be there of intrest, and took a few shots of some Canada Geese that I saw enjoying the sunny day.

A pair of Canada Geese floating by

Another Pair of Geese Preening

A shot acroos the lake at a home high up on a hill

Ventriloquist Figures

Meet the newest member of our family, Her name is Emma, a Ventriloquist Figure.

My Lady Elisabeth, decided she needed a friend for the Male figure she had purchased some time ago, His name is Jesse, so she had a Female Figure made for her that she calls Emma.

The whole plan started out as something she and even I could do to entertain some of the elderly people in retirement homes in the area.

Elisabeth has been developing a routine, along with a voice for the figures.

Both figures are 40 inch figures and are so cute, with crossing eyes,winking , and blinking eyes as well as moving side to side, and of course mouth movement.

Elisabeth has dressed them up in cute outfits to match their personalities.

Click on the image if you wish for a larger view.

Amaryllis

Today I am posting a few photographs of a huge Amaryllis plant that I have seen grow at a neighbors shop.

Just last year I had been waiting to see it bloom and missed it, however, this year the plant became huge and started to have large buds appear and I watched every few days till I saw it start to open and then captured some of the blooms as they opened.

I hope you enjoy the photographs, please click on any photograph to enlarge for a better view.

A rather misleading view of the plant...notice the big Elephant Ear type leaves sticking out?...they are from another plant that he had planted in there..not from the Amaryllis plant.

A close view of one of the blooms that had opened.

A better view inside the bloom

Getting even more up close and personal view.

Pennsylvania and Tulips

I have not posted in over a month now I know, due to some health problems and feeling very under the weather ( Lupus Flareup ) making me feel totally exhausted.

Thank you to those of you who have expressed concern , I am still not up to par yet, but am making a posting at this time to share some of Creators beauty that we saw on our recent trip to Pennsylvania.

Upon reaching our destination in Pennsylvania, we traveled down some back roads to proceed with our visit, and along the way we saw a very great display of Tulips at their peek blooming time ( which by the way, two days later all the blooms had fallen off )....we stopped and took a few photographs of them to share with you.

To enlarge any photograph for a better view, just click on it.

First, a pot containing some very nice Tulips at our visit destination, just after a light rain.

Close up

Display of a great variety of tulips found along a back road we traveled.

Just one section, closer up

Such a wonderful display of a star burst color

Another view

You just have to admire the wonderful colors available



Near the Tulip display there was a small narrow dirt road we decided to go down to see what might be there and we came upon this scene in the woods, beautiful Wildflowers.

May apple plants in the woods

A beautiful Wild Fern plant near a tree

Close up of Wild Fern Plant

This concludes our tour of some of the beauty we saw on our trip on the backroads of Pennsylvania.