Recycling Gemstones: How to Get Your Dream Gem 

Thanks very much Lucy~ I feel like I just lost 10 years, but perhaps in a good way XD

@@GemologyforSchmucks maybe 10lbs ha ha

@@LucyWalkerJewellery XD Things worthy of imperial measurements. Beard weight

I'm glad that you stumbled over my way ~ Welcome :D

Thanks very much Dan. One of these days im going to need to upgrade my mic setup so that we all can get the most out of my narcissistic voice XD

Thanks for your constant support, Laurentiu~

Thanks Sherri~

Thanks Kelley ~ I like high impact moments ^_^

Hopefully we can keep it out of our lungs, nostrils and pores XD Cheers George.

The nice thing about beards is that they grow. If the mood hits me at some point in the future ~ I can grow another one :D

@@GemologyforSchmucks You look great either way!

@@annacollins501 Awww thanks Anna~

Thanks for your kind words, and i'm glad that my work has been of service to you.

One must not be reliant on artifacts when on an epic quest~!

Treacherous hindsight bringin' all that regret!!~ XD

I also like a little "cosmic roulette" Cheers~

Welcome to the channel~ I'm glad you enjoy my work :D

Glad to hear you enjoyed it J L

Thanks Rog~ I agree with you on the Portuguese cut, but I havn't figured out a rhyme or reason yet. There are some stones I love it on and others I hate it. Its still a mystery to me.

My pleasure ~ I think thats half the battle of teaching: pulling the exploration of an idea along so that the train of thought is clear and the problem obvious. If the problem isn't clear as a problem, information doesn't stick in my opinion. I keep striving to get better ^_^

My pleasure~

Ah thanks Maxim. Yah - there's a HUGE space for well curated vintage jewelry with better (natural) stones.

I strive Jennifer~ hopefully I continue getting better and better.

Thank you~

There are definitely lapidaries in the UK, but many of the exceptionally skilled are getting up in age and looking to retire, and there don't seem to be many willing or able to take their place due to a variety of reasons. A lot of gem cutting is done here in Thailand, so I can say that while there are definitely risks in sending anything in the mail/ courier, opportunity always has its cost too eh? Costs here tend to be much lower and there is a variety levels of cutters available here from a few dollars a carat to on up to sky high for certain exceptionally high value stones. To end a long story without getting into an ultra long story i'll say that: Sending valuable stones abroad (especially to Thailand) is definitely done, and it is common enough. Finding people you trust to work with is the first step.

Glad you enjoy my videos, regardless of your perspective about my beard ;)

@@GemologyforSchmucks You are great.Would love to say hi to you in JTC when next in Bangkok:))

Hah~! Canada is a glorious place and he's a glorious person, so i'll say thanks for that ;)

The value of lab created stones comes down to the same economic factors guarding the value of most things: supply and demand. Flame fusion and melt process synthetics are often highly available and cheap to produce, which will 'likely' keep them low in value (aka only retail value that can be built in by salespeople with minimal resale value). Others like Flux growth synthetic emerald have a soft spot in the heart of collectors (higher demand) and they also take MUUUUUCH longer and more money to produce. That makes them higher value in some sense. The fact is, if they want to spend the money, a manufacturer CAN produce these stones at their whim. That fact will keep the value lower than an earth mined stone of similar quality. We never know when we'll find another of that quality, or even if its out there. If we go and smash them all... there aint no more left. That makes whichever natural ones that survive... substantially more in demand and therefore more valuable.

This description is "close" to the mark, but not quite there. Colourless beryl is called goshenite, and for the most part (aside from the variety of geological environments that these different beryl varieties can grow in) they are the same sort of crystal but with different colouring trace elements. Thats the part where you are correct. The part where we veer away from correctness is: not all emeralds are coloured by chromium, and depending on their origin/ growing environment, may have substantial amounts of vanadium and or iron aswell. This trace element chemistry is part of what big labs use to determine origin. So yah ~ mostly its a trace element chemistry thing, but there are also some valence charge issues that influence colours in some stones. I tell you what, if they talked more about gemstones and booze in school, there would be much higher scores in the lab sciences. My opinion ; )

bwahahaha. Interested in checking out the largest specimen in my collection?

Stones like that I enjoy keeping around, because they remind you of the lesson learned eh? #history #wisdom The gesture I suppose is just something that materialized early on and I just kept it. There's no hidden significance... that i'm consciously aware of...

@@GemologyforSchmucks it's a good signature. I consume way too much RU-vid and I don't see anyone else doing it. Not a bad way to stand out.

You're welcome Leena~ absolutely possible. With most crystalline gemstones and pearls folks use acetone for a while and may clean it by rinsing with isopropyl alcohol (no alcohol on the pearls! ). I'm not positive if thats safe with porous gemstones like malachite/ turquoise, but most glassy stones yes. If you know what your stone is, you can google its name with the term "chemical stability" and you should find what you need.

It has a will of its own~!

Respect

Hi Anthony ~ a lot of private lapidaries are willing to re-cut, and some specialize in recutting specifically, preferring to provide the service over dealing in inventory (or doing both). The price will vary based on who it is who takes on the job. Facebook faceting groups might help you find a lapidary nearer to yourself and you can choose who best suits your need of skill and price.

It's a transformation of a lifetime eh?

@@GemologyforSchmucks its truly inspiring lol. Is that a tradition of some kind? Were you about to get married or something?

The modern round brilliant was developed for diamonds over quite a few lifetimes from some historical faceting designs. The round brilliant is great for stones with a high refractive index that take a nice crisp polish and have few or minimal inclusions. When I see stones with a medium or low RI cut this way, its kind of like a pig in make-up. It's not that pigs or makeup are inherently bad - they just dont go together. Anything beryl in my opinion... (aquamarine, emerald, heliodor, goshenite) some of the non-phenomenal opals (reaaaly low RI) and Moonstones... just.. nasty to my eyes.