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Story and photography by Bob Farrar One of the most popular aspects of the gemstone hobby is collecting one’s own material in the field. Digging up an interesting rock can be exciting, but cutting and...

Can you use a tile saw, a Dremel tool, and wet/dry sand paper to start your adventure into becoming a gem cutter? Sure. Ancient Egyptian lapidaries used really basic tools (think sticks, strings, stones,...

A comprehensive list of gemstones and polishing compounds found to make each stone dazzle the eye was published originally in Gem Cutters News in 1998 by Benjamin E. Schmidt. Ben was a founding member...

Just because you live in an apartment doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy cutting stones. When I returned from Australia in 1985, I lived in a two-bedroom apartment. Since I didn’t have room for much lapidary,...