If you look back into the archives of this blog, you will find a post about one of my adventures that had to do with star garnet prospecting, an unexpected car breakdown, and getting to ride in the back of the sheriff's SUV. @jacobtothe knows the incident of which I speak.
Well, it's been almost a decade since that melee, and the garnets I prospected that day are still sitting in the container I put them in all those years ago, with their friends that I prospected almost fifteen years ago.
You know what they say about best laid plans
I've always been more than a bit of a rock hound. As a kid I would scour the creeks, ditches, and ravines where I lived and out in the woods when I went to work with my dad. I had a rather nice collection of agates, fossils, and such, but like most people, when I became an adult with responsibilities my gem and mineral aims went by the wayside.
Aside from the occasional star garnet prospecting foray.
Well, the hubs knows that one of my life long aims is to become a proficient cutter of cabochons. I have longed to polish and shape my impressive collection of gems and stones into shinies, but I also have had this life long problem that has always got in the way: I am terrible about engaging in things that I am interested in when I have other pressing responsibilities to attend to, especially if the things I am interested in cost the monies.
Yes, I am horrible, I know. @jacobtothe has reminded me of this frequently over the years.
Anyway, the hubs follows this local auction site, and unbeknownst to me, he had been bidding on this thing for me. When I started squawking about bills and things and such, he waved his large Hawaiian mitt in front of me and said, "Nope, you always do this, I am getting it for you."
This made me both secretly excited and nervous, what was it?
It was a professional lapidary tumbler!
Now days, most machines are crappily made, mass-produced garbage designed to be used a few times and discarded. Not the beast that the hubs brought home, just look at it!
The several pounds of star garnets are going in!
I already have the proper shaping grinder for the gems, I just need a few more tools and a lapidary saw and I am in business! Okay, and a lot of training, but I like learning so I am not really annoyed about that part.
Honestly, there's a room in my barn that was built by a rockhound for his hobby, so I am going to set up my lapidary lair out there. Ooh, that rhymed nicely! And I absolutely cannot wait to show you all the shiny things that I craft!
Also, my hubs is the best!
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