Way cool! Hope you will do more!

Is the soaking in acid and heat treatment done to the rough or finished product?

Very cool.

It's nearly impossible to completely prevent facets on a metal-backed lap. A light touch, slow speeds and plenty of water can help, but the odds are still seriously against you.  I don't use them on my Ameritool for sanding or polishing unless l actually want a flat surface.  Like others have said here, a soft pad is by far your best bet.

Ooo nice!  I like the choice of background as well.

I've tried almost everything but with that 90 degree bend inside of the case I haven't found any tool that works well. However, a blast of air can often dislodge most of the gunk.

Holy smokes indeed!

Hello from Phoenix!

Awesome. Great new approach to a classic material.

In Tucson I talked with someone who has cut turquoise for years. She said someone had shown her some new synthetic turquoise rough that she could not tell from real Sleeping Beauty. She said had it not been labeled synthetic, she would have believed was the real thing.

Did you ever go to McCracken?

Dang, sorry I missed that. Let us know if you go again.

What's at Burro Creek?

I am so sorry to hear about your situation, it sounds like an awful predicament.  I hope you find some answers soon.

The mineral club near me (Phoenix) uses all kinds of minerals and rocks to build educational sets for teaching earth sciences in grade school.  Maybe there is something similar near you?

The same club has also organized occasional local "clearance sales" for collectors in similar circumstances, would that be an option for you?

Beautiful.