Number 212. November - December 2016

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1 November - December 2016 Number 212 Official organ of the Australian Facetors Guild Limited ACN ABN Print Post Approved PP /00043 ISSN

he HALL - Xtra The Features: Uses 6" diameter lap plates Variable Speed 0 to 1250 rpm. Easy to see and set to 0.

Stainless Steel Sleeve over Post Includes: 96, 80 and 64 Tooth Index Wheels Fifteen Dops, 3mm. to 8mm. in Flat, Cone and Vee form. Dops for Setting. 45 Degree Angle Dop. Transfer Block.

Cormack St, Cairns, Qld 4870 Phones:- BH (07) 4053 1474 Metal Tweezers! How many of us have used metal tweezers to pick up faceted gemstones? The photograph (right) shows a triangular ametrine (3.

Neil McCallum (New Zealand) has come up with a novel idea to hold your hard work without the risk of chipping.

Make sure the cut is wide enough to hold the larger stones! Mark-it! How many of us have missed the index notch when faceting gemstones? A number of machines have the main indices coloured, e.g., the VJ (shown below right) and some earlier Hall machines.

to the indices. As Carol noted there were old publications which illustrated designs with colour coded tiers and transparent overlays.

2 he HALL - Xtra The Features: Uses 6" diameter lap plates Variable Speed 0 to 1250 rpm. Easy to see and set to 0.01 Degrees Dial Cutting Gauge Post on Swing Arm (No clamping needed) Larger Cast Aluminium Bowl Epoxy coated Base, Bowl and Swing Arm Head glass blasted, clear acrylic coated. Stainless Steel Sleeve over Post Includes: 96, 80 and 64 Tooth Index Wheels Fifteen Dops, 3mm. to 8mm. in Flat, Cone and Vee form. Dops for Setting. 45 Degree Angle Dop. Transfer Block. Instruction Book. Keys. a Faceting Machine PRICE: $3300 (Deliver ered) ed) Manufactured by UNAMIT Available From: UNAMIT CAIRNS 234 Mc.Cormack St, Cairns, Qld 4870 Phones:- BH (07) Metal Tweezers! How many of us have used metal tweezers to pick up faceted gemstones? The photograph (right) shows a triangular ametrine (3.3 ct - Photo GemSelect) in the jaws of metal tweezers. This is asking for trouble more so with sharp corners ready to break out with a slip of the tweezers. Solution. Neil McCallum (New Zealand) has come up with a novel idea to hold your hard work without the risk of chipping. Buy a set of pearl tweezers (the ones pictured may be bought from Cut and Slice, Rubyvale). Use a saw, Dremmel or Foredom to make a cut from the tip of the tweezers lengthwise. Make sure the cut is wide enough to hold the larger stones! Mark-it! How many of us have missed the index notch when faceting gemstones? A number of machines have the main indices coloured, e.g., the VJ (shown below right) and some earlier Hall machines. In her seminar presentation (page 7), As Facetors Lose Their Faculties, Carol van der Pennen highlighted the problems beginners and those with impaired faculties face in matching the tiers on designs to the indices. As Carol noted there were old publications which illustrated designs with colour coded tiers and transparent overlays. Carol has developed a teaching technique which helps facetors to quickly identify which index to select for each tier. For the octagonal brilliant design (front cover) the breaks are blue which match the blue marks on the index wheel of a Gemmasta (shown right) and the mains are pink. BIC Mark-it permanent markers were found to be the best at staying on! The VJ has markings for a standard round brilliant: Mains - white, Breaks - blue and Stars - red. Front Cover Clockwise from Top Left: 2.35 carat gold zircon (Mud Tank, Central Australia) - baguette with cut corners (pages 14 & 15) (Photo: John Broadfoot); Baguette cut bicolour tourmaline 4.28 carat (GemSelect); Brazilian Agate Guitar Pick by Paul Clacher (Photo: Paul); Bicolour tourmaline step or emerald cut (Singapore Gems); 4.2 carat Brazilian Ametrine (GemSelect); Pink-red Malaia Garnet (GemSelect); Aquamarine crystal found and photographed by Bernard and Arlene Jackson (see page 11); 5.4 carat Malaia garnet cut by Neil McCallum (See page 9 for story on Malaia garnets). Gold zircon showing the bar effect (John Broadfoot). Centre: Petal Cut design by Carol van der Pennen (Story page 7). Website references:

3 Maurice Passmore Carol van der Pennen Gemselect Bernard Jackson John Broadfoot Doug Menadue Marco Voltolini Jim Perkins John Bailey Michiko Huynh Marco Voltolini Fred van Sant Letters to the Editor Title as it appears in the front pages in italics.

4 John Broadfoot Welcome to Facet Talk 212 As Facetors Lose Their Faculties Paul Sabolta Les Sinclair Seminar Committee

5 Noel Warrell Smart Mineralogist Smart Mineralogist ε ω

Maurice PassmoreAFG, Southern Rockhounds,

magnet and phone case with phone attached.

6 Maurice PassmoreAFG, Southern Rockhounds, SA Figure 2: PVC pipe joiner glued to ring magnet and phone case. Note nails for extra bond strength at glue joint with phone case. Figure 3 PVC pipe joiner glued to ring magnet and phone case with phone attached. Figure 5: Dop arm set to zero and clinometer relative angle set to zero. Figure 1: Flat steel washer glued to side of faceting head. Figure 4: Clinometer jig attached to side of faceting machine. Figure 6: Setting the cut angle using the clinometer phone App.

7 Carol van der Pennen, AFG South Australia What can we do if some of these faculties are compromised?

8 Comprehensive Gem Diagrams this this

9 Malaya (malaia) garnet is not from Malaya as the name might suggest. This article has been reproduced as some members are cutting this unique and beautiful gemstone which is mainly from Africa. The range of colours and clarity is very good. It cuts very bright stones. Malaia Garnet Colour Clarity and lustre

10 Cut and Shape

11 Bernard Jackson AFG NSW

13 Editor: Author unknown - no name on the attached article.

14 John Broadfoot The Perfect Step Cut (

15 A description of the cutting process for a shallow piece of zircon rough. John Broadfoot 2016

16 Doug Menadue 2016 Bespoke Gems

17 Marco Voltolini From: NYFG Issue No 133 November 2016

18 Jim Perkins From: NYFG Issue No 133 November 2016

19 John Bailey 2005 From: NYFG Issue No 132 October 2016

20 Michiko Huynh 2009 From: NYFG Issue No 132 October 2016

21 Marco Voltolini From: NYFG Issue No 133 November 2016

22 Fred Van Sant From: Facets, September 1996

23 Edited by John Broadfoot Lake Taupo calderaeruption volcano

24 Editor. % Gemstones

25 Trevor Nace I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can t possess radiance, you can only admire it. Elizabeth Taylor Jeremejevite (Credit: Gem Rock Auctions). Black Opal (Credit: Bonhams Ltd) n Poudretteite (Credit: Smithsonian Gem Collection) Benitoite (Credit: jtv.com) Musgravite (Credit: Multicolour.com) 9. Red Beryl (Credit: therichest.com) Alexandrite (Credit: daysjewelers.com) Diamond (Credit: Dreamatico) Serendibite (Credit: Sociofab.com) Grandidierite (Credit: The Gem Trader) Taaffeite (Credit: Multicolour.com) Red Diamond (Credit: abcnews.com)

26 John Broadfoot

27 Fraser Coast Showgrounds and Equestrian Centre, Maryborough, Qld John Broadfoot and Henk Prins John Broadfoot JB Barry Chapman Machine Servicing and upgrades, Replacement quills, Transfer jigs and Dops Phone for further information Contact Horst Ricker 21 Sandys Track, Rubyvale L &F ENTERPRISES PTY LTD

28 SAPPHIRE ENGINEERING

30 John Rosen, SA Ron Jones NSW Editor: Geoff Jones Bob Boddington. Secretary For further information contact Robert (Bob) Kelly Ruth Grandcourt

31 AFG

32 QUALITY GEM ROUGH SUPPLIES FINEST QUALITY FACETING ROUGH IN BOTH NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC MATERIAL FREE FACETING ROUGH PRICE LIST AVAILABLE MASTERCARD, VISA AND AMEX ACCEPTED

33 Judging Features of Faceted Stones Long & Steele Faceting Designs

Colour and Inclusions in Quartz Editor: John Broadfoot Quartz comes in many

Most gem grade quartz is formed at lower temperatures (120 to 300 Celcius) in

Quartz can also contain many inclusions which can make for an interesting

Citrine appears to be due to microscopic colloidal ferric hydroxide.

of iron and possible radioactivity exposure; Smoky - Aluminium in the lattice.

As quartz forms crystals in hydrothermal situations such as vughs and geodes is

inclusions. Liquids and gas may also be formed or trapped within the crystal.

35 Colour and Inclusions in Quartz Editor: John Broadfoot Quartz comes in many colours due to impurities or lattice imperfections. Most gem grade quartz is formed at lower temperatures (120 to 300 Celcius) in pegmatitic environments. Quartz can also contain many inclusions which can make for an interesting faceted stones. Unusual inclusions are collectors items! What colours quartz? Citrine appears to be due to microscopic colloidal ferric hydroxide. Rose quartz - manganese and maybe some titanium and lithium; Amethyst - presence of iron and possible radioactivity exposure; Smoky - Aluminium in the lattice. Asterism in Rose quartz is due to rutile needles. What inclusions are in quartz? As quartz forms crystals in hydrothermal situations such as vughs and geodes is quite common for minerals to be caught up in the crystal growth hence becoming inclusions. Liquids and gas may also be formed or trapped within the crystal. Below are just a few examples of inclusions found in quartz. Lepidocrosite - FeO(OH) in quartz. From: Madagascar Gemstones 43 ct Rutile in quartz. From: Madagascar Gemstones Actinolite in quartz. From: gems-inclusions.com Calcite and rutile inclusions in quartz. From: gems-inclusions.com Blue anatase and rutile in quartz from Brazil. Photo: Elizabeth Pings

AFG Activities Gwen from the Southern Rockhounds is so pleased having finished her first octagonal brilliant.

Gwen has battled the odds being legally blind and persevered with her facting. Well done Gwen!

Pictured below are the alluvial diggings at Hargraves, near Mudgee.

I think the score was gold 1 - Doug - nil! Jokes aside some did find some nice small pieces - not quite classed as nuggets!

last 5000 years. It ejected some 50 cubic km of tephra in the eruption 1800 years ago. (See full story on page 23).

36 AFG Activities Gwen from the Southern Rockhounds is so pleased having finished her first octagonal brilliant. Her tutor is Carol van der Pennen who recently gave a presentation on teaching students with disabilities. Gwen has battled the odds being legally blind and persevered with her facting. Well done Gwen! Beautiful Lake - Violent Past Lake Taupo After the 2016 Seminar a number stayed on to go fossicking mainly for gold. Pictured below are the alluvial diggings at Hargraves, near Mudgee. In the lower photograph, Doug Hughes, AFG member from South Australia, is looking happy or is that exhausted after a day digging. I think the score was gold 1 - Doug - nil! Jokes aside some did find some nice small pieces - not quite classed as nuggets! This Lake looks so peaceful now but was the site of the most destructive and violent volcanic eruption on the Earth s surface in the last 5000 years. It ejected some 50 cubic km of tephra in the eruption 1800 years ago. (See full story on page 23). This instability is the result of a subduction zone where the Pacific Plate is going down under the Australian Plate. The depth of earthquakes is evidence of the subduction - deeper quakes to the West (see bottom figure). The figure immediately below shows the active volcanic zones. While the vents and geysers keep producing steam we are relatively safe!

Number 204. July - August 2015

Number 204. July - August 2015 July - August 2015 Number 204 Official organ of the Australian Facetors Guild Limited www.facetorsguild.com.au ACN 007 250 688 ABN 62 819 112 280 Print Post Approved PP 405518/00043 ISSN 1035-0977 he HALL