A lapidary looks chaotic because there are many tools needed to complete any one project. The good thing about the chaos is that it can be fairly contained in a small space.
I started the shop several years ago with $300.00 and a dream to have a sense of fulfillment in my life again. The shop grew quite fast as I poured my heart and soul into it.
I now have a well-equipped lapidary bursting with rocks and minerals of all sorts and I am bursting with all kinds of crazy ideas that I showcase on Etsy.
Take a photo tour to have a close peek at the chaos. There you will see some of the equipment needed. Here are the 10 (not so easy) steps involved in getting treasure to you.
1. The never-ending quest for new aquisitions. This is achieved via mining, digging, range hunting, trading, shopping, garage sales, estate sales, swapmeets, conventions, networking with "pickers", diving, snorkling and beachcombing.
2. Process the incoming treasure, count, weigh & record. Then I have to find nooks & crannys to store it where it can be found again.
3. Verify & Identify via the science of gemology. Knowing what the material consists of is important when cutting and finishing it because all the different minerals have different ways it needs to be handled and sold.
4. Cut & rough shape on an arbor. We use diamond saws and wheels to do this. Different blades and diamond grit wheels are needed for differing materials.
5. Exacting finishing is done on the flat lap. This involves more shaping and polishing. Sometimes this is done via a tumbler or a vibratory polishing unit or a series of both. Several types of compounds are used to achieve a perfect polish. Sometimes stuff is carved or beveled on a rotary unit using different shaped diamond burrs.
6. Holes are strategically drilled according to how a stone looks best and how it will hold up to the abuse. An ultrasonic drilling unit is the best choice for the job as it is less invasive than a standard rotary unit and it makes cleaner less visible holes.
7. Finished materials are sorted, weighed, strung, recorded, filed & photographed.
8. Time to showcase the little beauties on Etsy!
9. Now we have to find a safe place to store them until they sell.
10. Package the sold stones. Since gemstones are Mother Nature's treasured gift to us, I treat them like a treasure from beginning to end. I decorate their shipping box to reflect the creative process then when the box finally arrives at your house, there is no question that treasures are waiting inside for YOU!