Back    ~   Home    ~   Forward

I love to create things with my hands

Rock hounding and Lapidary

I have been a rock hound forever. My grandfather got me hooked by taking me opal hunting at about age five.


My lapidary equipment


I made this tumbler rack system. It is near completion and currently has six barrels ruinning 24/7. Eventually it will
hold 8 barrels running 24/7.

Tumbler

 

My lapidary work bench. The left image shows an old Covington Gem Lab and Covington wet belt sander. The image on the right
shows (from left to right) my newly finished cutom rock sanding machine behind 12" leather polishing disc, a Lortone combination
machine and a 10" felt wheel..



Silver smith bench made
from an oldcomputer bench

Sorting and cleaning
screen.

Almost done!
Final tumbling/polish stage

 16" Covington vibrating
lap machine




Here are some of the results

 
Bracelet: Silver fab
with a Rhodocrosite
cabochon. My first.

Matching earings for
the bracelet on the left.


White crazy lace
agate below.

Cabochon cut from the
stone on the left.
Making the bezel
from square wire
& gallery wire.

Add chain & it's
Finished.


Cut and polished
stone with silver setting





This is a carving that
I need to finish. The
stone is California jade.

Dyed freshwater Pearls
and handmade silver
chain links


Fossilized / agatized
sea snail Pendant.

Windchimes: Brazillian
agate slabs, beads &
driftwood.
Citrine & garnet set
in silver hoops

Fossil snail pin with
forged silver back.


Blue and green glass
beads with hand made
silver links.

Red glass beads
with hand-forged links


Green glass beads and
hand made silver links.

Pin: Matrix Opal, Garnet,
Amethyst and Citrine


Boulder Opal (AKA
Matrix opal). Opal
in a Hematite matrix.
Plume agate I think.
Someone correct me if
I'm wrong please.


Jasper (agatized)
Stone aquired and
set for a freind
Petrified wood
(limbcast). Excellent
detail. 5" diameter

Polished jasper
(brecciated) and
banded agate (skinned?)
Agate, Petrified wood
(center) ahd Jasper

Polished red jasper


Rock hounding
It was my Grandfather that gave me the rockhound bug. He took me Opal digging when I was 6 years old. I like to walk the Oregon beaches hunting for fossils, agates, petrified wood & jasper. They are quite
beautiful when tumbled to a shiny finish. The specimens below will be simply amazing when polished.




#







All images are Copyright© C. Shumway 2008

Back    ~   Home    ~   Forward