These are all either practice stones, some of my most precious or stones I've done just for fun. I've cut for friends, family and commission but keep it more of a hobby than a business. (No I'm not soliciting for work.)
The types of stones in the image are:
- quartz
- amethyst
- tourmaline
- beryl (both golden and aquamarine)
- garnet (mostly pyrope)
- topaz
- sapphire
I'll keep posting as I have time in hopes that there are some lurking lapidaries out there that will eventually chime in. 😀
Let’s just say off and on for more than twenty years. There were gaps in there where I didn’t cut for several years, and not nearly as often as I’d like. Now I’m cutting at least one stone a week, as I balance work, life and this hobby. I tend to cut in the early mornings for an hour or so, day and evenings are work and family.
My best advice is to not fret over quality of your polish, symmetry or mistakes. Keep calm and focus on learning the technique, speed and precision comes with practice. Focus on simple known cuts and avoid the more complex cuts until you have the skills in place, no matter how temping the cut looks. If I told you all of the times I got frustrated with a mistake or with a stone popping off the dop you’d be rich. 😂
If my knitting journey has taught me anything, it's to avoid taking on complex projects too early in the learning process! The immense frustration that comes from trying a pattern that your technical skills are nowhere near ready for sucks the joy of the process right out of you.
You also answered another question I had been wondering - how easy it is to stop in the process and pick it up later. I'm relieved to know I don't need to reserve a straight 8 hour window any time I want to practice 😂