Gold Prospector Turned Gemstone Hunter
I started out as a Gold Prospector way back in the early 80's looking for the precious yellow stuff. After 3-years of panning and only finding a quarter of an ounce, I determined it was not worth it to keep looking.
So I started keeping all the various gemstones I was throwing out of my gold pan and building up a stock pile.
I started out by polishing all my stones in various types of rock polishers. Building up my stocks of grinding powders and polishers. Soon I had many different types of rock polishers. I then needed to start cutting and grinding my stones so I bought some rock saws and grinding machines.
Before I knew it I was making various kinds of art in handmade necklaces, bracelets and night lights. I bought a machine for drilling holes in gemstones and created many kinds of drilled gemstone chips for making more necklaces. It just kept getting bigger and bigger.
In the early 90's I changed my collecting and focused on rough Opals of all kinds. Started out with Spencer Opal from Idaho and then onto Mexican Fire Opals. I eventually started collecting Australian Opal and learning how to cut and polish them. Then I was turned onto the Ethiopian Wello Opals and this really changed my direction.
I learned from an expert the art of grinding and polishing Opals to be made ready for placement into jewelry. Soon my collection was growing. Eventually I may learn the hobby of Silver and Gold Smiting. Most of what I learned has been self taught.
With my first grinding wheels, I was not only grinding the stones down but my finger nails as well.
A few years back I learned about Etsy as a wonderful place to sell my treasures to support my never ending hobby.
My shop has all sorts of gemstones, most ready to be placed into jewelry. I have much rough I've collected and I have cut and polished Opal as well. My shop started out in a space bedroom and has grown to the garage. I finally went out and bought a motor home, so I could spend long weekends out rock hunting. Got too old to sleep on the ground.
In a few more years I can Retire and spend more time in the field looking for all sorts of treasures to cut, grind and polish and pass along to all my Etsy friends and customers.
