Low quality stones?

[Cindlady2]

Going threw my "playground" of mixed rough gem stones and crystals, I got to thinking... (OMGs ! lol) Most of the stones (as expected) are of low quality and would not make good cut stones, however, I was wondering how well they can be used metaphysically? Even I don't have time to go through each one to give them a "feel" and when you've been sorting them by the pound you have to kind of shut off sensing them anyway. Even at that, there have been a few that look worthless but still attracted my attention. Many of these stones seem shaped like the crystal or gem they are meant to be, but haven't "developed" yet. Do they hold promise? (I don't mean in making a gem)
Are we tainted by the idea that a stone must be perfect to have value?
What other cool stuff can you do with "low grade" gems and crystals?


*Note: If you get the "winter blues" and love stones or your an earth sign, I really recommend getting some crystals and/or gems in matrix to "root around" in over the winter! It's great therapy!!!! :weirdsmil:smile::T I so look forward to my time with them!!!! :boing:

[lightdragon]

you can have great results with low grade stones. Aquamarine for example. I have average and low grade. Just let the average guys hang around me. But the low grade ones I work with. at one time I couldn't do anything with out having at least two pieces of low grade aquamarine with me. It helped stabilize and calm me. Actually right now ,I have a piece and just touching it relaxed me. So there is a difference in energies.

Never worked with other types of low grade stones. also would you consider non-gem quality stones the same as low grade?

[Cindlady2]

Never worked with other types of low grade stones. also would you consider non-gem quality stones the same as low grade?
Yhe, that's pretty much what I had in mind.
Also ones like the gray emeralds and schorl (black tourmaline) chunks.

[Moonlight's Daughter]

Gemstone quality has nothing to do with how they work for anything else but looking good in a peice of jewelry in my opinion. The only time I worry about gemstone quality is if I am going to by a piece of expensive jewelry (for whatever reason).

When I go to get stones to work with, I go strictly by how they feel when I hold them.

[Wolfsong]

Low grade.. high grade... another human concept which has no place in nature. Everything has its place and use...

For generations of medicine men in Brazil the most powerful smokey quartz crystals were referred to as teachers. These were crystals which were dull and old looking with cracks and crevises throughout them with no glitz or glamour to them. They were believed to be old souls which held the wisdom of the universe.

As a species we are so hung up on perfection its unbelievable... another reason I choose not to follow the herd known as humanity.

*Rant Off* :smile:

[lightdragon]

Yhe, that's pretty much what I had in mind.
Also ones like the gray emeralds and schorl (black tourmaline) chunks.
never heard of grey emeralds save for the fictional ones from the comic Sonic the hedgehog. i do know that emeralds come in non-gem quality and work the same as gem quality. like Wolfsong said "another human concept which has no place in nature". For more info on emeralds and black tourmaline see the database.

[Cindlady2]

OK, thanks!
After I get them sorted, then I'll start to feel them and work with them. I have a few interesting ones I'm looking forward to checking out! :)

[Wolfsong]

Cindlady2,

I'm still a bit confused. The way I understand it is you are sorting through some kind of material and finding stones/crystals and then cleaning them? Maybe I am getting it all wrong but that is kinda how it is coming across to me :weirdsmil

So my question is where did you find this material with all these stones in it? I'm really confused right now as to how you found this material and what the process is to get to the goodies. :crazyman:

[Cindlady2]

LOL.... This is that batch of mixed Brazil stuff I got from North Carolina because I couldn't find an open mine.



I have new ROCKS!
Ok, after our business trip to Louisville KY, I was bound and determent to come home with some new rocks, crystals or what ever! We set off to North Carolina in hopes of finding either a emerald mine open in January (ha ha) or at least a mine that sold unsearched matrix. Well, the only day we could be there was Sunday, this really cut down our choices! We did find a place though that sold mixed material from Brazil that they mixed in with some local stuff then let people screen for the "gems". The things listed that they said could be found are..... Topaz, garnet, aquamarine, peridot, ruby, star sapphire, amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, tourmaline, and emerald. So, I got me a big 'ol tub and started going through it. I found 2 baggies worth of "good stuff" before it was time to pack up. I brought home about 100 lbs. of stuff to go through yet!

I found a real nice piece of aquamarine I'm having cut into 3 nice gems! I also have lots of Black Tourmaline (Schorl) , a star sapphire and a few other things they said could be cut into decent gemstones. Most of the Smoky Quartz is so dark (black) you have to hold it to the light to tell it from the schorl hunks! I also found lots of Amazonite, Rose Quartz, AMETRINE!!! Some small Opal pieces and a few other things they didn't list. I still have over half of the stuff to dig through! Grant you, expectedly not everything is good quality, but there are a few nice pieces, and it's fun to dig through.

I do have one dilemma.... Most of what I think is topaz and some citrine are smothish transparent to translucent small stones. They range from clear to very pale blue to yellow/orange. Also there are a few that are kind of octahedron shaped. I'm not good enough at identifying yet to know what I got!

I'll get some pictures up when I can.

I just love going through this stuff! To me it's amazing! Tonight I found a chunk of what I think is Tourmaline. It's a bit beat up but it's kind of pyramid shaped, about 20mm x 1.5mm and is purplish pink, very green, and pink. Just picking it up I could feel the energy in it! :) Some of the stones I think have been "water tumbled" a bit. Sure they are cleaner, but it also makes some harder to identify.