We’ve been asked a number of times about electronic gem testers – while these have their limitations and should be used with caution, there is no doubt they are a very useful tool to have around when working with gems.  We’ve tried some cheaper brands but for this job, you need guaranteed quality so we have sourced 2 of the most versatile Presidium testers:

• The Presidium Multi Tester is used to test diamonds against moissanite and other simulants.  Special introductory price of $395.
• The Presidium Gem Tester is used to test a range of coloured gems as well as diamonds.  Includes 6 Volt power adaptor (220 Volt, 3 pin plug to suit Australian customers).  Fantastic deal at $450.

We aim to provide a complete range of loupes and now have a couple of new ones to add to the list.

First up is a good quality linen tester or folding loupe with etched reticle on the base (ie. ruler marks in 1/8″ and 1mm increments along each side).  We have been finding that more are using this type of loupe as you can rest the tweezers or dop holding the gem against the base and keep it steady and in focus at a comfortable distance from the eye.

Also have a larger diameter 20X loupe coming to give a larger option to the double butterfly loupe.  This way you have choices from 1.5X to 3.5X (in the headband magnifier), through 6X (linen tester), 10X, 20X and 30X magnification (jewellers loupes).  Something for every job as well as specialised darkfield loupes and portable polariscopes for gemmology work.

Got some more dialux rouge in as well as 4″ and 6″ polishing mops (white and yellow) – now stocking white, red, green and blue dialux for any metal polishing need.  See here for a range of metal polishing media and compounds.  We also have a fantastic range of tumblers in both rotary and vibratory types as well as buffing machines – Abbot & Ashby grinders with tapered spindles.

Still unpacking so there might even be a few more goodies to come – stay tuned…

cheers from Andrew and Leah at www.aussiesapphire.com.au

It’s gift-giving time again whether we like it or not, so why not get your orders in now to prevent the last minute rush.
Aussie Sapphire is ready to help with heaps of stock and some great special offers to give you all that little bit of extra Christmas Cheer. We’ve picked out a random lot of 10 fantastic offers – there is sure to be something of interest in this lot but remember, the whole website is chock-full of great deals.

Andrew’s Top Ten

1. Facetron Faceting machine at just $3,300 delivered to anywhere in Australia
2. All the Lortone range of machinery shipped free anywhere in Australia
3. A free gift with every Christmas purchase over $200
4. 6″ Darkside Polishing Laps at just $99 delivered and only $135 for the 8″ version
5. Free shipping on any Gem scales and selected Kits
6. Easy Layby option for any purchase over $2,000 (there is no charge but conditions do apply: 3 equal payments over 3 months)
7. 40% off all Gold Jewellery – a great deal with Gold at over $1100 a ounce !
8. Gyroc Model B Vibratory Tumbler for for Just $395
9. Gift Vouchers tailored to your needs – buy a gift voucher from $10 or talk to us about putting something special together for you
10. Individual Package Deals. If you have been considering any major purchase email me direct and we will try our best to offer you a extra special Package Deal for Christmas ( shop@aussiesapphire.com.au )

Have a happy festive season and stay tuned for more news from Aussie Sapphire.
Cheers from Andrew and Leah

Normal shipping will resume Monday 12th October.

We will be checking our emails and messages so feel free to contact us.  Orders placed through the checkout will be held for you and despatched as soon as we get back.

Cheers
Andrew and Leah (Aussie Sapphire)

• In November we imported the first Darkside polishing Laps into Australia and are proud to be the exclusive Dealers in Australia for both the Darksides & the Famous BATT Laps from Gearloose.  With laps in stock ready to ship everyday, we invite you to try these out for yourself.   The Darkside is one of the most exciting new products in faceting for some time and will make life easier for both beginner and expert.  Information and user recommendations can be found at ALF.
• December saw Sales of Lapidary Gear up over 50% on the previous year – a great result given fears of recession and it is pleasing to see demand continuing well into 2009.  The economy may be gloomy but the lapidary hobby seems to be going against the trend with strong interest all round.
• December & January saw a huge effort to get our print catalogue ready – our customers have been asking for this for quite some time now and we are pleased to be able to provide this additional service.  Lots of exciting new products are now available.  Remember, up to date prices and stock levels are always available on our website.  If you have not already received a catalogue, just call or email and we will send one out to you (free to any Aussie Sapphire registered customer).
• February/March also saw some reprieve from the Low Aussie Dollar which had been greatly hurting the margins on new stock.  This allowed us to place some serious orders to replenish our stocks.  We now consolidate container loads of equipment/supplies from the USA, China and Thailand all by sea to try and pass on the best prices possible. We have two large shipments in transit now expected mid/end of May.
• March saw the voluntary committment of running the Minerama Fossicking and Gem Show take up all our spare time plus some. Minerama was again a great success – thanks to the many customers that called by to say g’day and stock up.  We trade only at Minerama and at the Emmaville Gem Show in September – we dont do other gem shows as it would be impossible to give customers the prompt service you all depend on if we are busy travelling on the Gem Show circuit. 

MINE STATUS
As many would have noticed our listed stock of Sapphire Rough suitable for the local facetor is very low and hasnt had new stock added for some time.  The facts are that its not feasible for us to operate the Sapphire mine under current Global economic conditions.   Simply the cost of production is way too high and the price offered for Mine Run production too low.  Given current forecasts for the length and depth of the recession we are all clearly in, this situation does not look like changing any time soon.  

We have had the plant under care and maintanance now for the last 6 months with no mining carried out – during this period, we have completed all the restoration of the mine cuts returning these areas back to full farm production.  A decision will be made within the next 3 months as to whether we maintain the Mining Plant & Equipment to restart at a later date or finalise all mining on the Reddestone Creek. 

We carry a vast range of quality cut Reddestone Creek Sapphire in the Bank Deposit box ranging from 1.5mm up in Blues, Yellows and a good selection of Parti – enough to last us and our wholesale outlets  for many years.  We also have a special selected stockpile of rough for our own cutting needs – this is not for sale as rough, sorry.

Customers should be aware that there is no commercial mining being done on the Reddestone Creek currently – people considering buying Sapphire Rough from other sellers that is claimed to be from the Reddestone Creek  should confirm the origin of the rough as we have been the only commercial miner on this resource for some years.

Finally, for those who have not yet joined our new lapidary forum, we invite you to check out the Aussie Lapidary Forum - affectionately known as ALF.      This active and friendly community is designed for anyone interested in gems – free membership and lots of features to help you get the most out of the lapidary hobby.

That’s all for now – cheers from Andrew and Leah (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)

If you notice any glitches, please contact us any time.

cheers

Leah (Aussie Sapphire)

The interest has been great so keep it up.  With the new media gallery, members can post any number of photographs with comments and rating features available so everyone can get involved. 

One of our members has done an amazing amount of work posting photographs and descriptions of various fossicking spots – this is very generous as often this data is very tightly held by those who dont want their seret spots to be over-run.

If you’re an expert gem cutter or just learning, we’d love to have you along – you can show off your work and discuss any aspect of the craft.

Why not join us at www.aussielapidaryforum.com

cheers from Andrew and Leah (Aussie Sapphire)

In some ways, the last half of 2008 has been pretty challenging but with some exciting new developments.  Thank you to all our customers for your support over the past year.  We have more planned for 2009 and look forward to bigger and better things for Aussie Sapphire.

We wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2009,
cheers from Andrew and Leah (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)

Look out for lots to come in 2009

For those last minute gifts, we can still help you out.  Gift vouchers make great presents and are very simple to order through our website - available in denominations $10, $25, $50 or $100 (or multiples) to suit any budget.  The system will generate an email which contains all the necessary details to redeem the voucher – but to add a special touch, we have a printable version of the gift voucher available online so you can print it out at home and hand it over with style.

Alternatively, you can still place your order and print out the details of the item for the recipient – although it may not make it in time, you can be sure that we’ll get it despatched as soon as possible.

We’ll post a Christmas message later but in the meantime, we hope you all enjoy the festive season and we look forward to a happy and prosperous New Year.

cheers Andrew and Leah (Aussie Sapphire)

No matter how you create your jewellery piece, the final step for anyone is polishing it up so it looks great.  While you can do this by hand, a much more efficient method is to use a tumbler.  There is a whole range of polishing media which can be used in a tumbler, but when chosen properly, it is a great way to get a fantastic overall polish.

WHAT TYPE OF TUMBLER?
Both rotary and vibratory tumblers can be used for this job and as with rock tumbling, the vibratory types tend to work faster than the rotary but are more expensive.  When choosing a tumbler, consider how much capacity you need in a tumbler.  We find that the 3A Lortone tumbler is a great choice for most people and being one of the cheaper, good quality tumblers around, allows you to get set up at very reasonable cost.

WHAT MEDIA IS NEEDED?
There is a whole range of different media which can be used for this job and the choice can be confusing.  We find that most experts recommend stainless steel shot which is an excellent burnishing media – mixed shape shot is most efficient at polishing all parts of the jewellery piece.

The other item you will need is some kind of burnishing soap – you will find many American sites recommending things like Dawn detergent or Ivory soap flakes.  The basic story is that you need a degreasing detergent without any other additives.  We sell P13 burnishing compound which is used for the same purpose – supplied in powdered form but is a soap which foams up and assists the burnishing action of the shot.  Feel free to experiment with other soaps/detergents but perhaps best to use “sacrifice” pieces when trying something new in case something goes wrong.

INSTRUCTIONS:
The amount of shot required will depend a little on how much jewellery you are intending to polish.  Most methods will suggest adding enough stainless steel shot to fill about a third of the barrel – this might be around 500 to 900 grams adjust as required depending on your needs.  Dont use too much as it might overload the tumbler and the polishing process will not be as efficient.

Add about a tablespoon of P13 burnishing compound (approx 10-15g/L water) or a good squirt of a suitable detergent and then just cover the barrel contents with water.   You may need to experiment with the best ratios of shot, water and soap to suit your job.  Tumble for a while – how long?  Again, you may need to do some trial and error to get this right but it might range from about half an hour up to a few hours.  Best to check frequently at first so you dont run the batch too long until you get some experience.

WARNINGS – WHAT NOT TO DO!
Obviously this method is not suitable for absolutely everything so dont just chuck it all in without some thought first.  Jewellery that is set with gems should be treated with care - some may still be able to be tumbled but any stones which are likely to be particularly soft, brittle or fragile might be better hand polished.  Likewise, stones that are glued (eg. opal doublets/triplets), heavily treated (such as resin infused emeralds) or composite stones such as some types of turquoise are risky to put in a tumbler.

FURTHER READING
There are quite a few articles and tutorials out there on the web dealing with this subject but I’m only going to point to one website.  This article is extremely detailed and provides all the answers you are likely to need so definitely check it out:

Urban Maille – How to Tumble Polish Jewelry

Lots of other information out there but these guys practice what they preach and have plenty of experience.

Cheers for now – remember if we can help with any advice, feel free to enquire any time.
Andrew and Leah Lane (www.aussiesapphire.com.au)

Came across this article in the Indian media recently which clearly outlines all the advantages of Black Spinel that we’ve been talking about for some years.  But it also had some really interesting snippets about how black gems are used in Indian culture.

The writer talks about a well-known custom in India for babies to wear bracelets on both wrists for the first year to ward off evil – the bracelets using beads of gold and black gemstones.   I have read of this custom elsewhere so it does appear to be an established custom.

He also mentions the Mangalsutra - one of the most important symbols of a Hindu marriage, traditionally worn by a married woman until her husband’s death.  The Mangalsutra usually consists of a gold ornament strung from a yellow thread, a string of black beads or a gold chain (or some combination of those elements) – it is said that the black beads are a protection from evil and so are an important part of the design.

An example of Mangalsutra from Mumbai Pluses

The examples above show some great modern variations on the traditional designs – see more about this trend at this Mumbai Pluses Blog article.

cheers for now from Andrew and Leah (Aussie Sapphire)