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TaoGem offers inexpensive gemstone cabochon supplies for special jewelry design. Interesting Unique and unusual loose cut gemstones. Beveled and polished gemstone supplies for the artistic designer who truly is searching for something special that will support his or her own creative perspective. Standard run of the mill cabochons are readily available on the internet. Our Gemstones offer many art, crafts, and gemstone jewelry design possibilities. Custom lapidary orders are available upon request for most gemstone material.
Interesting, unique and unusual matched earring cabochon pairs.
Special attention given towards cabochon designing for the purpose of bezel type settings. Most all cabs have nice beveling.
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"Advantages for Gemstone Jewelry Designer who Develop Relationship with Lapidary Shop" blog post that tells about the importance and advantages when considering TaoGem as your lapidary shop.
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Archive for the 'Gemstone Rough and Slabs' Category
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Heat Treating Minerals
There are a great many minerals
that can be heat treated as shown in
the forum post. Heat treating these
different minerals can result in some
outstanding color enhancements !
Here is a picture of some showing
a Brazilian Agate before, intermediate,
and a fully heat treated cabs.
Slow increments of raising the heat
and lowering the heat makes a
difference between highly [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | No Comments »
Saturday, September 19th, 2009
Recently received several slabs of what I believe to be a dendritic Moss opal. Not entirely sure if it is an opal, opalized, or a opalite. I have read that opalite is an opalized volcanic ash than can occur with common opal and agate. It can be dendritic.
Opalite is very hard and can have a [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | No Comments »
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
Chrysocolla is right up there among my most favorite minerals for cutting cabs from. Most all Chrysocolla makes for some stunning jewelry. Then there are some that are truly a bit more unique than others.
We have been sharing a whole lot of different Chrysocolla varieties on my forum.
I especially like a Chrysocolla with Hematite, Tenorite, [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
I just received this pictorial guide to over 150 types of agates and jasper.
“There are many excellent books currently on the market describing banded agates, but there are few with an emphasis on the other structural varieties. There are virtually no current books with images and descriptions of the wide array of fine jaspers presently [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
I recently bought what was described as a Munjina Jasper. After some discussion on our forum, it was thought that in fact it was not Munjina Jasper, but Noreena Jasper.
I did a Google search and they sure do look a lot alike. Come to find out that another member, ImageOne (Ron), cleared up the confusion. [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
A follow up from last weeks entry about Morrisonite Jasper. We have talked a bit about this Morrisonite as well as some outstanding Willow Creek Jasper on our community forum as well.
After purchasing from Rare Rock and Gem’s site the other day, would like to share yet more of this great looking mineral. Have not [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | 2 Comments »
Friday, October 10th, 2008
We had a new member join up to our forum who sells Morrisonite, Willow Creek, Bruneau, and other rarer Jasper type minerals. His site is called Rare Rocks and Gems.I received a package today from Philip. My mouth hit the floor when I opened it. From time to time will receive exceptional mineral rough / [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | 3 Comments »
Monday, August 4th, 2008
I was recently given a little bit of nice Chinese Pietersite Rough that was able to get a couple of small slabs out of.
After slabbing up the couple of small slabs thought might share one of my favorite cabs that finished.
I have a couple more on the bench that will post in a [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
There are a lot of different types of Fossilized Coral, not to mention fossilized material as a whole. The one I have some experience with cutting for customers who make custom gemstone, bezel type setting jewelry is this Indonesian Fossilized Coral.
Here is an example of what I am most familiar with shaping cabochons from.
Here are [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | 3 Comments »
Monday, April 14th, 2008
An example of some beautiful Rainbow Jasper in slab form. This particular example really has a great variety of jasper colors. I do have this available in stock and can be cut and shaped in any way that a jewelry designer would like. I have talked before about how important it can be for a [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
Purchasing quality gemstone in rough form can turn out to be a very disappointing experience. The results of my personal purchasing experiences had led me to believe that I might in fact be missing something that may all along have been common place in other lapidary shops. Other Cabbers must have a section of their [...]
Posted in Gemstone Rough and Slabs | 2 Comments »
