Spinning and Weaving

I'm late, I'm late! I teach a class today, pack, fly out for the Big Lug's family reunion. It's early right now, and I can't guarantee I'll return before we leave, but I'm still stoked - and exhausted - from my jewelry tutorial yesterday.

First, I'd written down 2:30 pm, but I forgot I moved it earlier, so it didn't start well - I do this (tutor) for a living, remember, so I was appalled that I would screw something like that up. Since he had an appointment scheduled for 2:30, he graciously (I mean it) rescheduled for about an hour later. When I showed back up (after grading essays at Starbucks down the street) I was already frazzled. But after a bit of a slow start (I was unable to put into words what I wanted from the hour) we dove right in.

I knew this field was complex, but I had no idea just how complex until yesterday. However, what I was finally able to ask for was some of the easiest things to spot, the most common tricks of the trade, so that "I won't get hosed" when I buy jewelry. And he came through with almost everything I wanted, and things I didn't even know I wanted - doubling (visual check for several stones), dispersion (I don't need an expensive dual tester for diamonds, really), doublets (though I didn't get a real one - couldn't find one in the store), then color zoning and specific gravity and ... seriously, I learned more in one hour, learned it with my eyes and my hands (where it will stick). We even talked about gold (which, apparently, I have an eye for since I took in some of my iffy and ugly finds to put into the pot for the fee - $25 in stuff yielded $150 in cash). I did slip at the end, there, though - forgot the basics of plated (worn spots) and misidentified something. I felt I lost some credibility as a good student. I was tired.

But I have the threads. Now I must learn to wind it into my life, my hunting. Hopefully the final few minutes of our session tells the tale - the "Rainbow Ring" (not mother's ring) from the flea market a couple of weeks ago gave him the opportunity for a pop quiz. I found out that indeed, all five are real stones, and that it was a bargain at $30. And that's exactly what I wanted to learn to do.