Hey, what is that stone??????? The Polished Pebble

OK, so we have touched on the importance of knowing the actual name of the Gemstone material your are working with. And if you are a lapidary, letting your customers know so that they can pass that info on to their customers.

And at times that can be challenging. Because most of the rough stone is purchased from others. At Rock & Gem Shows, estates, online sellers - the list goes on. While I personally love to go rockhounding, I could never justify only working what I found. So, the quest goes on.

There are a number of ways to uncover the identities of different gemstones or minerals. Some are as easy as looking on others websites. Venture out and look around. On alot of the available material the names & origins are easily found. Other times the info you seek could be difficult to find.

Once you start handling assorted material, it is best to expand your resources. There are a number of books that will help you in your quest. And an added bonus, you may just learn alittle more about the stones you are working with.

One of my favorite sources of info is theimage.com . It is the website of Ron Gibbs. He shares his love of gemstones & photography with all that care to visit. Along with the most unbelievably beautiful photos, Ron sneaks in a lesson or two on just what make that stone so special. All in easy to understand text.

Ron has recently published a book - Agates and Jaspers.

A fantastic look at those wonderful works of art that could have only been made by mother nature.

This full color book is - in my opinion - a must for anyone that works with agate & jasper, in lapidary or in jewelry.

Check out Ron's website at TheImage.com or for more info on his book, go to TheImageBooks.com

Be sure & tell him Connie @ The Polished Pebble sent you!