I just joined the forum today and thought I would take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Vance, and my username (free4rms) is unfortunately one that is very similar to Shain's (freeform). We both belong to another forum and use these similar usernames and I don't think there has been too much confusion, so hopefully everyone will be able to tell us apart.
I have been cutting, grinding and polishing cabs and freeform stones for about 15 years or so, and finally got to the point where I sell a few on my website. I love all kinds of agates and jaspers, but my favorites are plumes and mosses. Since I live in the coastal S.C., local material is non-existent. So, I check eBay frequently and pick up some good cutting material there. And on the rare occasions that I make it out west, I hit every rock shop that will let me in the door. As my username implies, I really like freeform shapes much more than the traditional cabochon shapes. When I am grinding on a preform, the greatest thrill for me is to work the stone in whatever shape the patterns and colors dictate. I wish I had a dollar for every time I started out with one shape in mind and ended up with something totally different!
My interest in lapidary work sprang out of a fascination with fossils. I have been an avid fossil collector for over 45 years (am I giving my age away?) and have been associated with museums for 28 years as a volunteer collector and donor. Many years ago I tried to figure out how to make jewelry out of fossil shark teeth, and my attempts lead me into learning how to electroform 18 kt gold on the roots of the shark teeth. Electroforming is the process of plating metal onto non-metallic surfaces (like the leaves you used to see "dipped in gold"), and once I learned the process, I started looking for other items to electroform. This lead me into polished rocks, and then into cutting and polishing my own rocks. Today I electroform some of my pendants with a trim of 18kt gold , and I sell electrofromed fossil shark tooth necklaces and pendants. It is a very difficult thing to learn, but it is tons of fun once you get it figured out.
I am anxiously looking forward to reading the posts on this forum and contributing whenever I can. I really enjoy looking at the work others have done and learning a few tricks of the trade once in awhile. Thanks for the chance to sign up and jump on board!
Meanwhile, here are a couple of my favorite pendants:
Vance
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