So what’s next….

Take classes at the Revere School in San Fran. [I wish!]

Actually I am saving to take some but until then, I went looking for a way to teach myself some more technique and improve my skills. So my search led me to several online book stores, jewelry suppliers and many another website. [This is what I have been doing while I wait for my shoulder to heal]

I found quite a few books that detail the skills but I was also looking for a book that would give me some projects where I could use these new skill. Once I found several books, I asked my local bookstore if they could get copies - I actually want to look at the books before I purchase them. They said there was no obligation to purchase any of them, and so they did order 4 for me.

A few weeks later the books came in and I must have spent 2 hours going through all of them. I then bought 2 of the book:

The Complete Jewelry Making Course by Jinks McGrath

Jewelry Making: Tips and Tricks of the Trade by Stephen O’Keeffe

Since I am now doing flexibility and  strengthening in PT, and I can do limited silver work, I am starting with the book by Stephen O’Keeffe and I hope to work through the entire book, with a project every week or two.

I will be showing each project in the posts to come

First stop the Rotunda features an array of gems, rough, jewelry findings, beads, jewelry and gift items!

Photo (right): Crystal Monster

Photo (left): Gorgeous Afghan Lapiz Lazuli from Ariana Gems & Minerals, Laguna Hills, CA (they also have some of the cleanest Aquamarine crystals I’ve seen lately).

Photo (right): Exquisite Amethyst Stalactite Slices from John & Helen of Dahnke Intermark, Sun City, CA

As you walk toward the Main Floor you will find plants (very reasonably priced) along with games and grab bags for the kids. This year Bruce Messinger is showing an assortment of his current portfolio of macro and micro gem photography in the seating area (good news for those spouses who got dragged to the show :D).

Opening Day and people were lined up waiting to enter when the doors opened at 10am. The Main Floor was busy all day!

If you have never been to a Gem Show sponsored by a Rock & Gem Club - the difference is that they try to educate. Whether it be with the children’s games or informative hands on demonstrations, the goal is to learn something new!

The best way to do just that is the display cases that individual club members put together to showcase their talent or a special collection.

A great example of this is Sylvia Binckley’s beautiful display of unique jewelry made by her hand! My favorites are the Brains in Acrylic pieces in the lower left corner (click photo for larger version).

Oh boy I wonder what Sylvia will do with the goodies she has her eyes on (photo left)…the nice thing is we will see the results at the show next year!

Continuing the theme of educators - the charming, internationally known Gem Book Author (The Fred Ward Gem Book Series) and former National Geographic photographer, Fred Ward is on hand with a complete assortment of his informative series of gem books. Chat him up - he has wonderful stories for every photo - and will happily autograph your purchase.

Also on the Main Floor all the way back in the corner is my new favorite local tool dealer Johnson Brothers (click here to download .pdf catalog).

Look for the yellow sign to the right of the stage and follow the hallway to the room chock full of tools for digging gems to grading gems and everything in between.

Rare and unique is the only way to describe the offerings from Bonita Creations - agate slabs that will give you the look being shown by some of the finest Jewelry Designers.

From smooth slices of Watermelon Tourmaline to the texture of hammered Aquamarine and Morganite.

You will be impressed with the Opals from the amazing Stan McCall - he has a way with the elusive fire, cutting to perfection.

…and finally - the glorious gems and beads of ShadeTree Designs. Christine has included some of the more exotic along with the clean assortment we on the Westside have come to expect from this dealer of carvings, faceted gems, cabs and beads.

We are here for one more day - if you can’t make it - make plans to come in 2010!

A guest post from Lynn. Thanks!

Oak Park is the first suburb to the west of Chicago.

See two blocks and then some of Frank Lloyd Wright homes, plus his home and studio. More here: http://www.wrightplus.org/homestudio/homestudio.html

You can take a guided tour or do one of those audio tours with the little phones. IMO, the studio is well worth a tour, and I don’t even like FLW all that much.
The house that he built for his girlfriend when she was still someone else’s wife is here: http://www.oprf.com/flw/Cheney.html

birthplace of Ernest Hemingway, who really didn’t like us (but he didn’t like anybody): You can tour the birthplace home and visit the museum across the street. There are other Hemingway homes in the area (I guess they moved around!) One is now on Chicago Avenue (moved from Euclid, I think?) More about EH here: http://www.ehfop.org/

Other famous people lived here: Edgar Rice Borroughs! http://www.oprf.com/burroughs/
Kathy Griffin! And others still live here, though not the kind you would recognize on sight.

Oak Park is very walkable, though you might want to give your dogs a rest and get a ride with this guy: http://www.rickshawrick.com/ He will also point out areas of local interest/give you a tour if you are so inclined.

Our library is very nice too–the third floor is a nice place to sit and look out the huge windows. Or you can grab a sandwich and have a picnic in Scoville Park across the street (concerts Sunday night) or Austin Gardens, where they sometimes have plays in the park (right now it’s “Fifth of July”)

Other places of Interest (Cheney Mansion) gardens, house belonged to Elizabeth Cheney and then husband) and Pleasant Home on Home Avenue.

Local places to eat: Poor Phil’s (seafood, beer), Philanders (fancier; in same building as Poor Phil’s), New Pot (pan-Asian), Sagano Sushi or Sushi House ($$), Fuego Loco or Maya (mexican-ish), Hemmingways (French bistro-y), Winberie’s, Prairie Bread Kitchen or Erik’s or George’s Lido’s Cafe (super-casual; good for a sandwich), 5 Guys (burgers), The King and I (Thai), Marion Street Grille ($$), Marion Street Cheese Market, and across the street in what looks like a chain restaurant, Pompeii, which I think is wonderful and actually is an offshoot of a restaurant from the Little Italy area of Chicago (Taylor Street). Gepetto’s and Cucina Paradiso are other nice Italian restaurants.

Tasty Dog is a local fast-food hangout that used to be in a grungy place across the street but local kids staged a protest, and given that every other adult at the time worked for some major media outlet, the protest worked, and the village spent something like $1 million on this relatively flashy hotdog stand.

IMO I don’t think Oak Park is a culinary destination by any means, but you won’t go hungry here either.

This is mostly about downtown Oak Park Stuff, between the Oak Park and Harlem stops of the Green Line. There are lots of other things to do South and East, many pools, parks, restaurants (the Depot on Roosevelt, and many other wonderful restaurants there and Cermak Avenue (La Quinta de los Reyes! http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-quinta-de-los-reyes-berwyn), but hard to get to if you are on foot.

If you are taking the Green line to or from Oak Park, you might want to stop off at the Garfield Conservatory, a pretty and peaceful place to see flowers and plants–there is an indoor kids’ play area in the back, and a huge field to romp in. More here: http://www.garfield-conservatory.org/

If you come in on the Blue Line or are up for a walk (or rickshaw ride) you can see our Harrison Street Arts districts, with its studios, glassworks, and boutiques (love Careful Peach) More here: http://www.oakparkartsdistrict.com/
Buzz Cafe is a fixture here, and they have very good food and coffee and show a lot of local artwork: http://www.thebuzzcafe.com/ My personal favorite restaurant there is Trattoria 225: http://www.trattoria225.com/

Also, Oak Park has its own small conservatory, complete with cranky talking parrot George: http://www.oprf.com/conservatory

Keep in mind that I haven’t lived in this area since it was affordable (so that would be the 1960s) so my latter-day experience is as a tourist, though a local one!

First, a little history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Town,_Chicago
They say that if you can hear the bells of St. Michaels, you are in Old Town. It’s one of the few churches that survived the Great Fire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael’s_Church,_Old_Town,_Chicago

Anyway, lots of neat old quirky homes around Old Town. We used to live on Burton Place, a block-long street between Wells and LaSalle, and I still think the places there are cool. Some fun boutique shopping on Wells Street and on Armitage Avenue (Armitage Ave shopping is west of Halsted).

Late-night bar Burton Place is ok. Gold Coast Dogs on Clark has great Chicago-stle hot dogs http://www.goldcoastdogs.net.

Restaurants I like are Old Jerusalem and Nookies (which I think is more morning fare) Kamehachi (sushi) Salpicon (Mexican). Twin Anchors on Sedgwick is known for its ribs and beer and is usually crowded, but people like it. Geja’s (on Armitage) is known for fondue (I think that’s all they serve?) and they have flamenco on the weekend. Lots of other places, I know, but those are the ones I know. Fireplace Inn has been in Old Town forever.

Things to see:
Second City is in Old Town: http://www.secondcity.com
Chicago History Museum, recently remodeled small museum. Chic Chicago is a nice exhibit if you like fashion: http://chicagohistory.org

Lincoln Park, which is technically not Old Town, but it’s right next door! Zoo http://www.lpzoo.org, swan boats, Nature Museum, Shakespeare Gardens (which is a garden around the statue of Shakespeare directly across from…) Lincoln Park Conservatory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Park_Conservatory, North Avenue Beach and its boat-shaped beach house with a decent restaurant. I think there is even a health club along the beach. Midwest Buddhist Temple and the area around it is wonderful: http://www.midwestbuddhisttemple.org.

Mokumé Gane

Rio Grande now has a nice selection of Mokumé Gane.  It is available in both sheet and bar.  At this time they offer:

Argentium® 930 Silver & Copper Agate-Pattern Mokumé Gane Sheet

Argentium® 930 Silver & Copper Cuzco-Pattern Mokumé Gane Sheet

Argentium® 930 Silver & Copper Plain Mokumé Gane Sheet

14K Palladium White Gold & Argentium® 930 Silver Mokumé Gane Sheet

Argentium® 930 Silver & Copper Mokumé Gane Rod

Mokumé Gane is made with layers of different metals, formed to present an intricate pattern.  I have wanted to try working with it but have not yet done so.  Rio Grande also carries Balwin’s Patina to stain the copper dark without affecting the white silver giving a striking, high-constrast affect.

4 ct. Pigeon's Blood Ruby, photo by Van Pelt

The best rubies from Burma have long been designated as Pigeon’s Blood red, a rather poetic descriptive term that has come to be an actual grading term, signifying the most sought after color in ruby. Below are photos of some other Pigeon’s Blood stones we have known!

5 ct. Ruby, courtesy of Schofield

4.5 ct. ruby, courtesy of Fai Dee

6 ct. ruby, courtesy of Fai Dee

In the second of several blogs on the subject, we attempt to describe the color and show several photos of the same 4 ct. stone to illustrate how color display and perceptions can vary.

The Basic Jewelry Course will be held every Monday, 6pm - 9pm, from the 3rd - 24th August.

Alpha Supply - www.alpha-supply.com
Contenti Jewelry Making Supplies - www.contenti.com
FDJ Tool - www.fdjtool.com
FindingKing - www.findingking.com
G&S Metals - www.gsgold.com
Hoover & Strong - www.hooverandstrong.com
Indian Jewelers Supply Co - www.ijsinc.com
Jewelers Toy Store - www.jewelerstoystore.com
Kingsley North - www.kingsleynorth.com
Metalliferous - www.metalliferous.com
Online Metal Store - www.onlinemetals.com
Rio Grande Jewelry Making Supplies - www.riogrande.com
SFJS Online - Santa Fe Jewelers Supply - www.sfjssantafe.com
Southeastern Findings - www.southeasternfindings.com
Stuller - www.stuller.com
Wire-Sculpture.com - wire-sculpture.com

If you would like to add some other great suppliers that I have not listed, please email me.

Other great suppliers so far:

Soon enough she was selling to friends, friends of friends and so on until she decided to turn it into a small hobby-style business. In 2006 she met Patrick and moved to London and it is then that The Bijou Dragon really started taking shape as Patricks knowledge of metals and metal working really made an impact.

This year sees The Bijou Dragon investing in some new equipment which will take their jewellery in a whole new and exciting direction so stay tuned to see what new and shiny trinkets make their way from the deep dark cave of The Bijou Dragon.

Get yours here: http://brynmorgen.com/toolbox/DESIGN-O-MATIC.pdf

I asked locals, both Chicagoans and suburbanites to make recommendations and everyone says go to Millennium Park, see the Bean. The Bean is supposedly actually called Cloudscape, but nobody calls it that. (Speaking of suburbanites — used to be called 708ers, for the area code, before the addition of more area codes in both city and suburbs.)

The Sears Tower has a new scare your pants off feature, a glass bottom balcony.

I had some requests for “non-touristy” stuff to see, but a wise friend said, “actually, I think the touristy stuff is better.”

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, and because of traffic patterns and distance, you’ll want to visit one neighborhood per day. Two if they’re close and you’re really energetic.

I’m organizing some things to see in Chicago by neighborhood:

Hyde Park: See Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House and the Oriental Institute, eat in nearby Chinatown. (Nearby is relative.)

If you have time, stop by the Japanese garden that’s behind the Museum of Science and Industry. Skip the MSI unless you’re really into trains, planes, WWII subs or want to go in a replica coal mine. I think I’m bored with MSI from going too often, but my good friend says:

“remember the Harry Potter exhibit and the Smart House! Also there is a great inventors exhibit (can’t remember what it is called) that has a very cool music-generating machine.”

Downtown: the aforementioned Millennium Park, you can walk over toward Wacker Drive and the Dearborn bridge and stand on the bronze plaque where Fort Dearborn once stood.

Of course there’s Art Institute of Chicago, armor collection, pre Columbian Gold, and lower level decorative arts collection. The brand new modern wing just opened, I haven’t been yet, but friends report that it’s great. Be warned though, the Art Institute just raised their price to a whopping $18.00 per person! (Not sure where the armor is, with things being moved around during remodeling.)

If you can take more art at this point, go to the Chicago Cultural Center, formerly the library, and see the Tiffany dome, the multiple art galleries, and if you’re there on the right day, see a free lunchtime performance.

Walk to the lake, of course, see Lake Michigan, stop by Buckingham Fountain on your way.

From downtown it’s a straight shot out to Oak Park to see the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio. Or take a walking tour, download the audio for one for free.

Where to eat: this is a tough call, as there are a ton of good restaurants. For good cheese, Marion Street Cheese Market, for Mexican, Lalo’s on Oak Park Avenue, 5 Guys Burgers and Fries on Lake Street, Trader Joe’s on Harlem for a picnic lunch.

Or visit nearby Forest Park for Gaetano’s, Cafe Dalucca if it’s before 3 pm, or Fuji Grill on Harlem for Japanese.

North End of Downtown, or the “Magnificent Mile”

A bit dull, artistically. The Museum of Contemporary Art is there, and they have some nice Calder mobiles. Other than that the Mag Mile just shopping, I don’t get it. Upscale retail, if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

Pilsen:
An excellent museum is the National Museum of Mexican Art (formerly the Mexican Fine Art Center Museum) in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago.

It’s the largest museum of Mexican art outside of Mexico! Plan your visit info. is here.

Where to eat: El Milagro on Blue Island and Cafe Bon Bon on 18th for desert. Yum! Check out hours and such first.

Old Town:

Visit the Chicago History Museum. More on the neighborhood here.

Evanston, IL

Stop by the beach and the Blind Faith Cafe for veggie eats. For beads, see Ayala’s Originals.

There’s also the Evanston Art Center, and right next door, a lighthouse you can tour: grossepointlighthouse.net. Kids under 8 are not allowed.

Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a mall that happens to be on a pier. I think it’s the least interesting thing to do in Chicago. It’s also hard to get to. There’s a shuttle from the closest train stop, if you miss it, it’s a long walk. Parking is really, really expensive. I think there are a lot of more interesting things to do in Chicago. Sure, it’s safe, clean and indoors, but it’s summer, so skip it. (Lots of people disagree with me. It’s a good place to catch a boat tour, there’s a stained glass museum, lots of good restaurants, and the Chicago Children’s Museum.)

Getting around

Traffic is a big factor if you’re driving, so plan accordingly or take the train. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has a phone number you can call and they’ll plan your whole route for you.

Trains are easier to figure out than they used to be, but not as easy as Washington, D.C. Make sure you’re getting on the right “color” train and the correct “end of the line.”

Some helpful planning websites:

Transit Chicago

Explore Chicago

Bonus section:

Cool houses of worship to see

Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL http://www.utrf.org/visit.html

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, IL http://www.swaminarayan.org

more to come

Your suggestions are welcomed in the comments!

Photo credit: Joe Pena
———————
From the Comments:

Mary Ellen writes:

You forgot one great Chicago activity - the Architectural Boat Tour. If you put it on the list, I suggest that you recommend that people book it through the Chicago Architecture Foundation, as these docents know more than they have time to talk about. Other boat tour companies have added some information on architecture, but they aren’t as extensively trained or knowledgeable as the CAF docents.

Great suggestion Mary Ellen, thanks! Here’s the link: http://www.architecture.org

To see the full blog post with video clips you can visit TaoGem.com.

In the meantime will try to get them added here.

After uploading the videos, realized that the audio on most did not pick up my voice. So will type out as best I can a description of what is going on in each video. I can hear them much better using my headphones.

As always, what works best for me can be different for someone else. So please critique, add too, point out, or anything else that you find works for you so it can be added here for others to take in.

A lot of this really applies to most any cabbing.

One of the first things I like to take the rough edge off the perimeter of the preform.. I take it down through the 400 diamond bonded wheel. I don’t want to be grinding on it later after I have my doming complete because it will result in changing the girdle height. So all I really want to have to do is touch it up with the silicon carbide stages.

Ok here we go…. ! Smiley

This first clip shows the grinding down of a bevel. Not a finish bevel. A bevel that will determine the girdle height and also the outside/lowest part of the low dome. Depending on the size of the cab or rather the surface area will depend on how little you will need to bevel. You can get away with a lot less of a bevel because no need for as much doming. A larger surface area will require more.. Make sense ??

No need to actually go though any additional beveling steps for the corners. The bevel from doing the sides will join nicely at the corners.

Here are a couple of pics showing the results. I leave the corners sharp cornered until the very end of the cabbing. Then I will round them off. If for some reason I want the cab to wind up with sharp corners, then I have to pay extra close attention to them as shown a bit later.

This next clip try’s to show how to begin getting the contour of the dome uniform across the entire surface.

A while back someone mentioned how they listened to the grinding. As what ever grit your working progressively removes bumps and ridges the grinding sound will subside into a smooth almost quiet grinding action. Meaning the surface is uniform so to speak with the flat surface of the grinding wheel. So I work each wheel until I can go around the entire surface of the stone to the point where there is really no grinding going on. Hard to explain. Just think about it while your working the surface of the cab. It will come to you !

I noticed that it appears in the clip that I am pressing harder than I actually am.. I am hardly pressing at all and the wheels are running a lot faster than these videos depict.. Just a video thing I guess..

I have come off the initial 80 grit and this step is on the 220, then moving on to a somewhat worn 220.

Again, mostly working the outer part of the surface of the cab and spending little time hitting the inner part or highest part of the dome. Don’t want to grind down what little dome we are working to have in the end. Although I do have to spend a bit of time on the center just so as to include it in the grit processes. Most of the grinding is needed around the outer part of the cab. That is where the ridges were left which is covered more in the clip just following this next one below.

I notice too that my camera crew did not do a great job of showing a lot of the cabbing action.. Hopefully you will get the idea.

This next clip starts out going through the same process except on a 400 grit. Again, listening to the sound of the grinding.. Just like any other progressive grinding or sanding steps.. Need to work it until the previous abrasives grit marks are removed. Pressing fairly lightly.The pic below shows a close up of the problem I run into on the corners.. The accidental excess grinding on them.

This next one shows how sometimes I have to go back over the girdle so as to keep it uniform. Sometimes as a result of going through the grinding process the girdle will become thicker in the center and have to re-bevel and then smooth out the surface a bit. Again.. A bit hard to explain.. Sorry. !

Next I move on to some silicon carbide papers. I start off on the 80 with this agate. Running up through the 220, 400, 600 and finally a worn 600 just like any other hard mineral cab. Other softer minerals, I may skip the 80 and start off with the 220.I listen to the sanding just like I do the grinding..

You can see I have not tried Old Hickory’s belt slipping trick yet.. !

This next one shows rounding the corners.

Finally…, Lets try beveling ! Something commonly seen on a flat or very low domed cab.

After going through all the silicon carbide grits for the bevel and girdle, here are the results !

Be sure to add any suggestions for me here or visit the forum thread and share with us there.

Thanks for stopping in and reading this blog entry !

If your looking for Argentium® Sterling Silver findings, here are a few links:

http://www.argentiumsilverfindings.com

http://www.gsgold.com

http://argentiumfindings.com/

http://www.cooksongold.com

http://www.riogrande.com

If you are aware of any others, please let me know and I will add them to the list.

Before I explain what I use these for, I should tell you that I use the flat bottomed fluted (Mr. Coffee) type of coffee filter as these can also be spread out flat. Now, on to the why!

When Sawing:
A real jewelers work bench has the leather drape which is used to collect all sorts of smutz from silver dust, fillings, to dropped parts. I don’t have one of these but when I saw, the bench pin is clamped to the front edge of my table. This means that when I saw the dust will fall on the floor and get all over the place and tracked around the house. I remidied this by placing the pin over the 3 rows of drawers that I have in the table. I then pull out a drawer that is midway down, on top of the drawer I place a few sheets of paper as this stops the dust from falling into the drawer, and on top of that, I put the flattened coffee filter. The filter usually catches most of the silver dust and what it misses is caught by the paper. When I am done sawing, I can lift the filter and paper off, I then tap the dust from the paper into the filter and all of this is put into the silver dust jar for recycling. The filter can then be set aside for the next time.
 
When Filing:
Again this is when a drape would be handy, instead I place the flattened filter on the table top and do all of my hand filing over the filter to catch the removed material. I also clean the file with a brass brush on the filter before I put my files away. The filter is once again folded in half and dust slides down the fold into the collection jar.

When Cutting Coils:
Earlier I mentioned using liquid soap as the lub for cutting coils and how the soap also traps the dust. This mix, when you are done cutting the coils, is now over not only the cutting fixture but the coils as well. From inside the bag I use as a dust hood, I place the cut rings in a (all together now) flattend filter. I place this in the bottom of the bathroom sink, but first a close the drain most of the way. I then turn the water on to a slow trickle which I guide over the coils with my hands. At a slow trickle, the water will pool in the filter but the water will also slowly drain through the filter. As the rings get rinsed I transfer them to a clean towel and let all the silver dust collect in the bottom the filter. When I am done, I once again fold the filter in half and place it on the clean towel as well. Taking the towel, I can then move back into my workshop area and place the now dried rings in a holding container for future use. The folded filter stays on the towel overnight to dry and from there I can then tap the silver dust into the dust holding container.

Without you there would be no exquisite body to adorn with my creations. Without you there would be no creative collaboration. Without you I would have no inspiration at all!

Top to Bottom:

Misty - 1. wearing her fossil necklace, sterling silver + fossil
2. wearing her necklace made with geodes from her home in India

Kath - wearing her commissioned silver jewellery suite - earrings, ring, necklace and bracelet

Jenny - wearing her 21st birthday present commissioned by her dad, sterling silver + 22. caliber bullet shells

One of the things that was brought up in the Ronda Coryell fusing workshop I attended was how easily you can fuse scrap into a ball.  I, like other students, have had issues when reclaiming sterling and sometimes end up with a less than ideal ingot that has poor working properties.

For students this can be very frustrating, due to the small amounts of metal we usually keep on hand.  Seldom does a student or hobbyist use metal on such a scale that sending in scrap is really useful.  It’s very handy to be able to take clean scrap on the order of 1/4 ounce to 2 ounces and reclaim it in an effort to make some sheet or wire.

Interested in this, I took the bits left from the piercing out of the benzene ring in the last post, and tossed them on a compressed charcoal block with the adhesive and paper on them still.  Using the Gentec small torch, with propane and oxygen set to a slightly reducing flame, I heated the bits pretty aggressively.  The paper and binder burned away quickly, the ball formed up, and a little of it was accidentally blown off by the force of the torch.  I heated the remaining liquid metal for several seconds to ensure it had ample time to divest itself of carbonaceous crap, and to abuse it just a little.  The new ball was cooled to black heat, and quenched.  The formed ball was quite nice looking, and to give it a simple (although inadequate) test I hit it with a ball peen hammer on an anvil a few times to see if it would crack.

It seems to have come out quite well.  The dark spots are surface garbage and not porosity.  To be fair this was a loaded example, and the paper and binders most likely added to the reduction atmosphere.  None the less, a good first try.  Soon I should have enough scrap to make more than a 3-5 mm ball.  I’ll reclaim it and roll it out, and try to directly compare with some sterling.