Refractometers

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I’m studying for my graduate gemologist certification through the Gemological Institute of America. And me being me, I’m obsessing on all the neat toys.

Here’s a very early GIA Refractometer I found listed on eBay.
GIA refractometer
It’s from about 1949 and it’s claim to fame is that it fits comfortably in a pocket because it’s only 2″x2″x1/2.” Unfortunately the guy has started the bidding at $290 which is about $100 more than I want to pay.

And here’s a Rayner Dialex I want but the bidding started at $550 and I just don’t want it that bad.
–Besides, I’m once again a starving student on a budget, which sucks big time.–
dialex
This unit is unique in that instead of reading it directly you look through the eyepiece while adjusting your shadow line with that dial on the side, you then read you RI off the dial.

And finally another even earlier Rayner without the dial on the side. It’s currently at $45 with one day left so tomorrow I’ll probably bid on it. :-)
rayner

Garnets

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I used three half carat Russian Demantoid garnets from my personal collection for this illustration. The gem jar is 1″ (25.4mm) across and the stones are 5mm in diameter.
Not exactly huge are they?
demantoids

For comparison here are the same three with a 3.88ct reddish brown garnet from Mozambique.
garnets

The three demantoids were advertised as “chrome green” –a rather unscientific description if ever there was one– and range from slightly included to included. But the color is saturated enough and they have enough fire that at just under $100 a carat I feel I got my money’s worth.

The larger stone was sold on eBay as a “Mozambique” garnet and is internally flawless, for that I payed about $2 a carat.

The price I paid for the brown garnet was about right but if I had found a nice demantoid with a well defined horsetail inclusion I would have expected to pay upwards of $1000 a carat. In fact a Jeweler I know recently found a 3ct stone for a client that was cut in such a way that a small, well shaped horsetail is visible under the table for $3000 and his source is now offering to buy it back.

As you see when it comes to gemstones it’s not all about size, it’s about rarity and most importantly beauty.

Just a quick note: For 99 cents I bought two 1ct garnets on eBay, that are costing me $4.99 to ship. :-(

Getting Around the Park

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There are lots of ways to get around the Park:

Here we have your basic motorcycle.

Then we have something a bit smaller being ridden in style.

Then we have a bicycle drawn rickshaw for the kids.

You can run.

You can walk

Or you can decide all that moving around is a bad idea and take a nap. — A personal favorite.

Spam, Spam, Spam, Egg and Spam

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I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting this blog, in fact for a fairly long while I completely ignored it.

But now that I’ve been posting a couple of times a month I’ve rediscovered my base audience. That’s right boys and girls, the spammers have rediscovered me.

I used to feel so depressed because when I’d drop by to update the software and I wouldn’t have a single spam comment. I mean, after all, just how much rejection can a person take? Even the spammers were ignoring me and I was absolutely heartbroken.

But now Akismet is catching over 100 spam comments a month and I can’t begin to describe the feeling I have knowing they still love me.

I can once more stand tall and proud knowing that thousands of slime balls are once again trying to to get me to promote their porn. It’s as if a great burden has been lifted from my shoulders.

Just imagine; I posted two or three times a week, I could be back up to hundreds or; dare I say it? even thousands of spam comments a day in no time at all… Just like the good old days.

I haven’t forgotten you my dearest spammers. I was lost but now I’m found.

So keep that internet love coming.