slabs | Raqyz's Rocks

11 Apr 2010 3 Comments

by Raquel in cabbing Tags: cabbing, cabochon, cabs, Carving, Jade, Mookaite, Mookite, pet wood, petrified wood, polished rock, saphire, sapphire, slabs

Don’t you just love cloudy days, where you just wanna stay home and just veg? I do! But instead of just vegging out, I cut up a few slabs and got some cabbing in. I’ve had a couple of slabs that I’ve been wanting to cab but I had been putting it off. One was pet wood and it has a really cool picture in the stone. I had been worried that it would crack or mess up, and I couldn’t bear the thought of messing it up. But it kept calling me, so I finally just went for it. I’m glad I did too. Funny or odd thing is that the Mookite or Mookaite also has a face in it. Although its a little different. Anytime you get a cabochon from an artist its unique and this just goes to show how unique they can get.
I’m also adding pictures of the second jade carving I finally finished. It seems to have taken forever to finish this one. I really enjoy carving jade, but it seems like I get a bit obsessed and have no time for wrapping. I found the stone at Jade cove and wanted to leave the shape pretty much the same as when I found it. But I wanted to carve some sort of design in the middle of it so that it could be worn. After carving it, I added a small faceted sapphire in the center.

Well so far so good and another day to go. Hope you have a great weekend!

Rockn Saturday!

25 Oct 2009 Leave a comment

by Raquel in Cuts & cabs Tags: agate, cabbing, Crazy lace agate, detroit agate, dino bone, dinosaur bone, flowering tube, flowering tube onyx, fordite, lace agate, lapidary, Mexican lace agate, polished rock, rock, rough rock, slabs

Today was a great day for cutting up some rock. The weather was great and everything just fell into place. I had a bit of Fordite, Dino bone, flowering tube onyx and Crazy Lace Agate that were just asking for a little attention. I had never cabbed Fordite and found it to be really easy. The fun was trying to maximize the patterns in the rough. Some are just wild. But oh so much fun..

I hope your Saturday was as fun as mine!
Thanks for stopping by..

And another Estate sale

30 May 2009 1 Comment

by Raquel in Cuts & cabs Tags: cabochons, cabs, copper, fire agate, lapidary, metals, opals, picture jasper, rock, rocks, silver wire, slabs

I was out with my cousin and Aunt when we saw a sign that said estate sale, so of course we had to see what they were selling. We pulled in and first thing I saw was a cab template. Now if there’s a template you know there’s rocks or cabs or sumthin! I asked for rocks and was told nope not any, wait maybe. Haven’t pulled everything out yet. No, it wasn’t that early. They were just really busy. Well a guy said let me show you something, tell me what you think. He led me to the back yard and against the wall was a small tub with some cut rock. He said he wanted to sell it but not sure how much. Well It was hard to tell what all was in it but needless to say I bought it and on the way out another box that had metal in it. I told him it looked like silver but, I wasn’t sure. Some of it is copper for sure, but I will have to check the rest out. At the bottom of the box there was some silver bezel wire and silver wire the rest I don’t know. Anyway I bought it all. Here are some clickable pics.

Some of the stones were carefully marked and put in small manilla envelopes or wrapped in tissue paper. Others laid in boxes on cotton matting. Yes, at one time well cared for.
I’m glad to have found this gentleman’s treasures. I hope to do them justice. I know I’ll treasure them too.

Lovely break…

26 May 2009 Leave a comment

by Raquel in Cuts & cabs, Handmade jewelry, Pendants, wire weaved jewelry Tags: boulder opal, cabbing, cabochon, royal sahara jasper, slabs, wire weaved jewelry, wire weaved pendant, wire weaving, wire wrapped jewelry, wire wrapped pendant, wire wrapping

Its been great, the one extra day. Every weekend should be three days. Got lots done the cabbing in the last post. Even finished a couple of wraps. I was looking thru the slabs and pieces of rock I had because the cabbing contest on the gemstone board and found the RSJ slices. Well take a look at one of the slices, what do you see?
Here they are:

Well hope you had a great weekend!

Fun in the sun

18 May 2009 Leave a comment

by Raquel in Cuts & cabs Tags: cabochon, cuts, fire agate, fire opal, Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper, slabs, sunstones

I was up early and to be kind to my neighbors I started with cabbing a couple of Oregon Sunstones, a Mexican fire opal as well as a couple of MH poppy jaspers. The jasper was green and poppies look like sunflowers in the stone. Well if you know me, you know how I love sunflowers. So I will be looking to get some more of that done. Then as it got a lil later in the day I moved outside to the saw and to cut up some of the rock I had been eyeing for awhile. The colors in the Boulder opal are great. Can’t wait to get some cabbed.