Jeff was a friend of mine and he died last week. I’ll miss him, I was privileged to have worked with him as much as I did. Jeff was introduced to me by his apprentice of that time, Chris Byron. Jeff was a master lapidary and was looking for a metalsmith to work with his stones. He designed stone cuts and published many books about stone cutting with his designs. Jeff was not a production stone cutter, he was a rare breed of a rare breed. Stone cutting in the US has to survive by being the best since volume is not a game US stone cutters can compete in. Jeff was more than the best by designing and teaching and being very generous. Jeff was always generous to me, he was patient and understanding.

Jeff had been in the lapidary game so long that he had many suppliers who sought him out. Miners would fly from Africa to sell to him often arriving at odd hours of the night. It never ceases to amaze me how this business works with shoe string connections. If Jeff had not been at home when the miners showed up he would never had been able to buy the rough he bought. They rarely called ahead to plan the trip and would just fly from city to city to sell their stone to the buyers they had met at the gem show or some other way. Often times their prices would start very high only to be cut in half or more just so they could get home.

Jeff would high grade the rough and cut the best with a new design then sell some and send the rest to cutters in Bangkok to be cut by production cutting houses. He fleshed out his product line with those stones as well as stones cut by other US cutters. Jeff’s businesses were www.faceters.com and www.cabbers.com . On his sites he had very good photography of his products which he took himself as well as much information to anyone interested in stone cutting. Jeff was not short of opinion and his sites were proof of that. Jeff was a man who said it like it was, he was honest and generous. He and I had very different political opinions but shared with each other, the trade that we both loved, jewelry. I set one of Jeff’s stones in my bracelet that was accepted by the Smithsonian for the permanent collection of the Renwick craft gallery.

I was privileged to be able to buy many of the stones he cut himself as design proofs. The best material cut by a world class cutter is not something I took lightly. I always used Jeff’s stones in my art work and built my work around his. His stones were always the center piece and my work was just to showcase his work. He taught me all I know about gems and how they should be cut. My office manager at that time, Pat Kula were treated to  our own private gem show every Friday afternoon when Jeff would bring in the pieces he had cut that week and any rough he wanted to show us. He would get Pat all worked up about politics and tell me that he didn’t have to live with her and leave. He had a sense of humor and I remember laughing  hard the last time he came in , like I always did with him. Often Pat and I would close the shop up around him then kick him out so we could leave, I think Jeff liked hanging out with us and I’m glad for that.

I am sad that Jeff is gone and very greatful for the time I had with him.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6273316

Hope folks stop in and leave comments if you enjoy the site!

-=James L.

Daniel Lopacki has a little blurb about carving and I used his idea and photo to make my own rig. Using hardware store material and a nurse procured a syringe to meter out and direct the water coolant. Built an adjustable mast to hold the plumbing and hypo.

A visit to Walmart provided a little insecticide sprayer I connected to the hypo nozzle. The small size gets under the sink for refills without having to go out or to the tub & lasts several hours.

Making a long R&D short- I am pretty good. I was already a Lapidary instructor and have rocks everywhere. So I can pick something worthy and it will never be just a square of dome again……Ahhh so nice.

If and only If art jewelers will write wanting something mondo- I will sell some.

If not—–I plan to get the torch out and vie for competition…… \o/

Anjolee has been the leader of bracelet manufacturing for over 30 years. What this means, is that all purchases are made directly from the manufacturer. You save money, plus you are buying from an established business with an excellent repudiation in the industry. You could not ask for a better way to make this important purchase a seamless, easy process that you will feel confident about from point of purchase until well after you’ve received the item(s).

On Anjolee.com we strive for excellence and are committed to the highest quality standards in the industry. Anjolee takes pride in an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The grade represents BBB’s degree of confidence that the business is operating in a trustworthy manner and will make a good faith effort to resolve any customer concerns. Superior product quality, extensive selection, superb customer service and an excellent return policy make this online company stand out from the rest!

Find a bracelet design that appeals to you. Next you must figure out if yellow gold, white gold, or platinum is the metal type you desire. Then the diamond quality must be selected. To accommodate various budget limits, Anjolee lets you select from six diamond qualities ranging from HI/I1 to FG/VS. Ultimately, the consumer names their own price, thus “Building their own bracelet”.

With hundreds of bracelets to choose from you can narrow your search by looking through each of the eight tennis bracelet categories on Anjolee, including Classic Diamond Tennis Bracelets, Diamond Fashion Bracelets, Red Carpet Bracelets, Vintage Bracelets, Gemstone Bracelets, Men’s Bracelets, Bangle Bracelets and Gold and Platinum Bracelets.

Find a bracelet design that appeals to you. Next you must figure out if yellow gold, white gold, or platinum is the metal type you desire. Then the diamond quality must be selected. To accommodate various budget limits, Anjolee lets you select from six diamond qualities ranging from HI/I1 to FG/VS. Ultimately, the consumer names their own price, thus “Building their own bracelet”.

With hundreds of bracelets to choose from you can narrow your search by looking through each of the eight tennis bracelet categories on Anjolee, including Classic Diamond Tennis Bracelets, Diamond Fashion Bracelets, Red Carpet Bracelets, Vintage Bracelets, Gemstone Bracelets, Men’s Bracelets, Bangle Bracelets and Gold and Platinum Bracelets.

Create a glamorous diamond or CZ necklace of your dreams on Anjolee’s interactive website. Where else can you find a large selection of necklaces at such remarkable price points? Only on www.anjolee.com- will you find an extensive resource of everything glam.

Find a necklace design that appeals to you. Next you must decide if you want yellow gold, white gold, or platinum. Then the diamond quality must be selected. If you are going for a look that is red carpet ready, select CZ’s and allocate your budget to selecting a heavier or larger necklace weight. To accommodate various budget limits, Anjolee lets you select from six diamond qualities ranging from HI/I1 to FG/VS or cubic zirconiums. Ultimately, the consumer is in charge of making their own price, thus “Building their own dream necklace”.

With many necklaces to choose from you can narrow your search by looking through each of the six diamond necklace categories on Anjolee, including Journey Diamond Pendants, Fashion Diamond Pendants, 3 Stone Diamond Pendants, Diamond Classic, Red Carpet and Diamond Fashion.

It’s a wonderful choice that you made to ask her to spend her life along side you. For this occasion you should spend some time brainstorming about some of the shared experiences you have had with your fiancé-to-be in order to create a moment that you will both remember for all time.

Where did you meet? – Think back to how you met? Was there someone that introduced you that you would like to acknowledge for setting you up?

Where was your first date? - Did you eat at a restaurant together? Do you remember what you ate? Consider calling the restaurant you first ate at and asking them for a reservation at the same table you were sat at for your first date. You can order what you had before to remind yourself of that love and interest that you felt when you first met. It may sound cheesy but hiding the ring in her napkin or under her dish can also add an element of surprise. Plus going back to where it all started is a touching detail that will not go unnoticed.

Do you want any friends and family to witness this moment? – Having your friends and family present can make this moment extra special. They get a chance to witness your happiness and love.

Consider Anjolee when looking around for the perfect ring to compliment your perfect moment. Anjolee.com offers a nice selection of Engagement Rings.

Whether your sweetheart would prefer a simply beautiful Solitaire Engagement Rings or one with side stones, you are sure to find some amazing styles.

For those that like to plan ahead, Anjolee also offers Matching Bridal Sets. Save yourself the time and hassle of having to coordinate a wedding band with the engagement ring after the fact.

All rings can be custom built to your taste and budget! Visit www.anjolee.com today!

To submit your own extraordinary engagement story, please email press@anjolee.com. Your experience could be featured on the site for others to enjoy!

Below is the modern day list of colors based on the Jewelers of America and is the accepted list of birthstone colors today.

January’s stone is Garnet, a reddish, brown stone.

February’s stone is Amethyst, a purple stone that can vary from light to dark purple.

March’s stone is Aquamarine, a lighter turquoise color.

April’s stone is the diamond, varying in color from brown, yellow to near colorless.

May’s stone is emerald, a darker green.

June’s stone is the pearl.

August’s stone is the peridot, a brighter green than the emerald with undertones of yellow.

September’s stone is the sapphire, a brilliant vivid blue.

October’s stone is the opal, or tourmaline.

November’s stone is the yellow topaz or citrine.

December’s stone is the turquoise or blue topaz.

Anjolee currently offers many gemstone bracelet designs that feature peridot, garnet, sapphire, citrine, amethyst and topaz. Choose one or choose them all! Gold or platinum absolutely stand out against the contrast in color of these gemstones. To see a complete line of the diamond bracelet collection visit Anjolee – The Art of Jewelry.

Michael Sturlin classes - Revere fall 2009 open session

Michael will teach a program of four workshops in San Francisco at the Revere Academy during the month of September.

Forged Bracelets - September 12-13

Decorative Settings - September 14-15-16

Classic Wire Rings - September 17

Marketing Designer Jewelry - September 18

http://www.revereacademy.com/