ROUGH INTRODUCTION

Fewer and fewer people these days are selling good quality gem rough in the US. The reason? More miners and wholesalers from around the world are either cutting the stones themselves or using cutting contractors to get it done cheaply. This seems great for jewelry producers and consumers in price points per stone. But all is not roses. What’s being lost are the cutter’s art and creativity. As with so much else American we’re sinking ourselves to the lowest common denominator having people whose profession is business decide the aesthetics. Now it’s become much harder for people who want to cut their own stones to find the raw material they need. More difficult still is finding top quality rough. The highest grades now are nearly always cut where they’re mined. Again, it’s not the lapidary artists making the decisions, but those whose goal is to maximize production and profit. For most US cutters then, finding good rough is a challenge.

A thought to consider for those jewelry makers and others who don’t cut stones. You expect to get your cut stones cheaply because they’re cut by low paid workers. Unfortunately, when those cutters are paid only to produce cookie cutter stones, you’ll end up forced to make cookie cutter jewelry. And too, people who cut stone strictly on a per carat basis concentrate on maximizing weight not beauty. You need to realize that except for uniform single color stones, even simple cabochons require close attention to detail as to what to emphasize. Removing creativity from cutting reduces your creative possibilities.

To the point for cutters and jewelry makers alike. I’m not basically a rough stone dealer. I’m selling rough here because I’m a lapidary addict. I’m selling this rough because I’ll never, ever, ever be able to use it all. Generally I like mostly what’s unusual or rare. I buy old collections. I buy whenever I see rough. I pick stuff up off the ground wherever I go. I travel to other parts of the world for rough. So what you’ll find here is what has over many years appealed to me for cutting; what I’d cut if I had the time. I’ve also got a lot more than this so it never hurts to ask. I’ll just keep putting stuff up here in hopes that I can make a buck or two and cutters can get what they like.

PAYMENT FOR ROUGH: SINCE PRICES ON ROUGH CAN VARY, PLEASE EMAIL ME FOR METHODS OF PAYMENT. I CAN INVOICE YOU THROUGH PAYPAL OR WE CAN MAKE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS.