Making a SMOKEY QUARTZ INTAGLIO

Carving With a Master

- STORY BY BRUCE MCKAY

No matter your experience level, the opportunity to pick up new tools and techniques and take a private stone carving workshop with a master carver helps lapidaries to become better carvers and learn a bit, too. Darryl Alexander, an award-winning gem carver who has won the prestigious AGTA Spectrum Awards multiple times recently offered a private workshop for Rock & Gem readers.

CLASS SET UP & MATERIALS

Darryl and his son Nick are the suppliers of the Mountain Mist diamond carving paste compounds, a favorite for many. This class was put together by Doug Malby and took place at Doug's summer home in Chester, California. Doug facilitates communications among carvers and faceters and is involved with the University of Arizona's Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum.

A table was set up in his driveway along with a tub of quartz crystals and scepters collected from the nearby Hallelujah Mine. A smokey quartz with a good shape was chosen for this workshop. Its termination had natural, undamaged frosted faces but the sides were a little beat up.

A Diamond Pacific Pixie machine, a flex shaft machine, a 4-inch trim saw and a Hi-Tech brand flat lap were also set up along with the polishing compounds and wheels to be used with the flex shaft machine. Each grit and the wheels used with it were separately bagged to avoid cross-contamination.

GETTING STARTED

The Hallelujah Mine produces smokey quartz and amethyst ranging from small, simply terminated crystals to massive scepters with huge complex terminations. The base of the crystals is attached to the wall of the vugs they grew in, creating a crystal with a distinct terminated top and a rough broken bottom.