Qualifications for Being a Rockhound
1. Love of the outdoors - where else can you find rock.
2. Strong Back or Good Judgement - rocks gain weight with every step.
3. Sense of Humor - being able to appreciate someone else’s find after you just stepped over it.
4. Cheerful - smile even if every muscle and bone in your body aches.
5. Adventurous - daring to take a road, even it it looks like it goes straight up.
6. Persistent - not satisfied until you have turned over every rock twice.
7. Determination - visualizing a beautiful gem cut out of a plain rock.

(via Hatrockhound Gazette, 8/01, Clackamette Gem, 6/01)

Lapidary Polishing Compounds (Golden Spike News, 4/01)
For economy dedicate a buff, lap pan to a particular polish and simply recharge with fresh polish as required to maintain effectiveness.

Cerium Oxide - the best gemstone polishing compound for most uses. Best with opal, agate, quartz, obsidian. Not as effective with soft material or stones that tend to undercut.

Micron Alumina - a 5 micron polishing powder developed for computer disks. It is the best polish for seashells, pretty good for soft stones and excellent as a pre-polish in vibratory tumblers and laps - not rotary tumblers.

Aluminum Oxide, MAP - preferred by many to Linde A, this is a slightly faster and more economical rare earth polish that we call Miracle Atomic Polish.

Tin Oxide - a long time favorite. Use on leather for polishing turquoise and all soft stones.

Zirconium Oxide - a rare earth polish that is especially good for tumblers and laps. The most economical effective polishing media. White and will not discolor gemstones.

Linde “A” - A tremendous favorite with gem cutters whether faceting or polishing cabs. Relatively expensive, you should consider polishing the stone then giving it a quick hit with Linde A to attain a super polish. Available as powder to mix with water or an emulsified cream with the consistency of hand lotion that does not separate in solution

Oxalic Acid - used for polishing carbonate type onyx when mixed with another polish such as Tin Oxide. In a strong solution with water, it is used to clean iron stains from specimens, i.e. Quartz. Mix with hot tap water by stirring in oxalic crystals until the water is saturated and will not dissolve any more. Crystals forming along the sides of the container indicate a saturated solution and should they disappear, you need to add more. WARNING: While this is a relatively mild acid all precautions must be taken to keep it out of eye, mouth, etc.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR CABOCHON MAKING
by Jon Sams with update by Don Esch - Willamette Agate and Mineral Society

The method that will de explained herein is not only acceptable by Federation judges, if you decide to go the contest route, but will cut your working time by two-thirds once you have mastered this technique, and it is not really that hard to learn.

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1. Figure 1 is a prime example of a semi-flat dome. If you were to superimpose Figure 1 on Figure 3, you can readily see how much grinding is eliminated. Since most of the cabbers work in harder stone (Mohs 5 ~ to 7~), this is really a time saver. Also, a flat or semi-flat dome will hold the reflective beauty of the material much better than a high dome. (Opal is an exception. . to the above statement)
2. Figure 2 depicts a cabochon with a rolled girdle line. This is strictly a no-no. Judges just shake their heads when they see such a fault. Some of this roll is cause by grinding, and some by the polish action. Let’s get into some of the simple things that make an poor cabochon into one of outstanding beauty.

Most of us know before we start to make a cabochon, we would like to mount it into a finding. Rule number 1: The prongs of a finding should never extend above the girdle line. So, the obvious thing do is to measure the height of the prongs and set the girdle line accordingly. Most prongs are 3 to 3\ MM in height. Since there are 25.4 MM to the inch, one can figure the height with ease. A mounted stone with prongs bent over on top of the dome draws your attention to the prongs and not to the beauty of the stone. Therefore, the distance from the base line to the girdle should never be less than the height of the finding prongs. The Ideal dome is one that measures vertically ~ the distance from the base line to the girdle. Information such as this, and much more, is never published, but held in the heads of judges. This is one of the things that some times makes the exhibitor bleed and bleed. One must ask question after question to finally compile all of the facts that will give you a score of 95 or above. Rule number 2 (these are my rule numbers): The bezel or slanting edge of the stone, after it has been ground to template size, should be angled in from 12 to 17 degrees. This is to allow the prongs of your finding to grasp the stone firmly. The bottom edge of the bezel should always be back beveled at 45 degrees to eliminate all rough and raw edges caused by grinding. This bevel should always be polished. The dome entry to the bezel (known as the girdle line) should always be sharp and well defined (Fig. 1) and not as shown in Figure 2. Always strive to maintain a straight line of uniform depth to your girdle.

In setting up to grind a flat dome, start with grinding around the edge above where the girdle will be, and in a sort of “peel an apple routine.” If you are making a 40 x 30, or any other size, always change the angle of your dop stick in relation to your stone, ie: When grinding opposite the long axis 40 MM) your dop stick should have a shallow angle and then as you come around opposite the narrow axis (30 MM) increase your angle. This will insure the correct curvature for the dome. Shape your stone with a silicon wheel to about ~ MM from your marked girdle line. Change then to paper of your choice. Each and every one of us has a different thought on this part of cabochon making. By using paper, which cuts a lot slower, you will eliminate scollop on your girdle line. If using diamond grind wheels, be sure to switch to next finer wheel before getting to these lines. Use a metal edged ruler and run the edge over the face of the dome while holding at eye level. If you can see only one point of contact as you move across the dome face, your curvature is correct. This method will show flat spots in a hurry. Using a worn out 600 paper will remove most to your grinding scratches. The next will sound a little odd, but it works for me. After I have used the 600, I put on a WELL worn 400 and grind at 90 degrees from the direction that I used on the 600. Always change direction of grind by 90 degrees when you change grits.

3. Polish....Oh what a nasty word (sometimes). Use your own method of polishing, but add this....On the first few minutes of polishing, rotate our stone in the opposite direction that your buff is turning and in most cases, use considerable pressure....NOW....reduce pressure and rotate your stone in the same direction as the buff is turning. The results are sometimes astounding. The preceding also works well with diamond. Be sure that you polish the bezel first and then when you are on the dome....do not...roll over onto the bezel. If your do....this will cut our sharp girdle line and I would like to stress again....Always try for a sharp, well defined girdle. I sincerely hope that this short extemporaneous paper will cut your cabbing time and increase your enjoyment of this wonderful hobby.

Helpful Display Case Hints
(Gems of the Rogue 8/98, Oregon Rockhound 6/98, Rock Chippers 6/98, )
Attractive mineral displays are often created with specimens shown at varying heights on suitable pedestals. An easy and inexpensive way to achieve this look is to use boxes in an assortment of sizes, all with flat sides and tops. Remove the lids, and use the bottoms of the boxes for display surfaces (unless the specimens are large and heavy). Ordinary cardboard boxes will do for small to medium sized specimens. Cover the boxes with contact paper or textured wallpaper in neutral colors, or paint them with a flat acrylic or latex paint. Arrange them in a pleasing pattern designed to show off the specimens in their entirety.

Make sure that each specimen looks as good as possible. For example. if you are displaying rose quartz with realgar just above it and to the left, and dioptase below and to the right, the rose quartz will appear pale and uninteresting because of its vivid neighbors. If the specimens are large and dramatic, wooden or Lucite boxes or risers are a better choice. Make box shaped risers out of natural wood, then stain or paint them. You could cover them with fabric suitable for displaying, such as decorator’s burlap. Using fine quality plywood is another option.

Attach specimen labels to the side of the riser, facing the front of the case. You can create labels using either material that matches the box, or Lucite or metal plates. Place them just below the specimen on the vertical front - labels placed on the horizontal tips are often difficult to read.