- Joined
- Apr 16, 2010
- Messages
- 64
Hey folks, gents and ladies, and everyone/everything in between. 
My name is Jamey. I run an information website GemAddicts to help announce and release new treatments, gemo news in general, and keep tabs on good sellers, bad sellers, and limbo sellers. And also a current project underway being our Gallery Project which is a photo gallery of all gemstones including agates and jaspers, pictures of each in the rough and faceted/cabbed, and we are working on pics of common inclusions found in them as well as those caused by treatments and the like). I also started my area's first Rock & Mineral club, Mason-Dixon Rock, Mineral, Gemological, & Lapidary Club. Just getting it started, but already lots of interest being shown..
I've been collecting rocks & minerals since I was, well, since I can remember, lol. About 15yrs or more ago I got into cutting(cabbing) some of my lower grade collected specimens and got hooked on cutting! Started cutting opal and Oregon sunstone by hand and then built a 4" lap out of an old electric food processor/chopper thingy. Not long after snagged a Highland Park setup with 10" trim saw, 3 grinding wheels, and a polisher on the end and a B&G(or something like that) 8" GemMaster flat lap thinggy. Now, a few years back I invested in a faceting machine, a Scintillator 88, and an OMF, for concave faceting, from Zane over at Polymetric Inc. So now I am hooked on faceting as well, lol! I also tie pearls to relax, lol, don't ask, but it works for me, kind of Zen like, rofl.
I have studied, in depth, gemstones over the last decade and taught myself Gemology. But, of course, folks expect that piece of paper that says you know what you know, so I also then went to school and became a Gemologist, graduated from the ISG. I written quite a few reports and papers that have been published in everything from a few University Geology Courses(used in the course work in Intro to Gemology) to the C.I.G. (Canadian Institute of Gemology) and of course many other websites and blogs on Gemology as well as Photography. I am also a photographer(once upon a time I was a professional wedding, portrait, event, PhotoJournalist, and product shooter.... retired many many years ago) and I specialize in Infrared, B&W, product shots, macro and micro, and wildlife/nature photography. I have been published in numerous books, magazines, newspapers, etc., including even a few cover shots. One of my favorite past times is taking pictures of microscopic inclusions inside of gemstones.. I have been shooting for a little over 2.5 decades now. Half of my mineral collection are microscopic and inside cut and rough gemstones, *snickers*. I'm just in this as a hobby and to help others with what I have learned and what I have experienced, be it Gemology, Photography, or whatever else I may be able to help with. I also am a Gourmet Cook by hobby, hehe. One of my favorite past times! Even in process of writing a cookbook, lol, but seriously, I am.
http://flickr.com/photos/digitaldevo <---main portfolio
http://www.pbase.com/digitaldevo <--- older portfolio
Prior to the whole Gemology/Gemstone thing I was in Law Enforcement. Everything from armed bodyguarding, to warrant services, to aiding constables, to even Fugitive Recovery(lots of fun but scary stuff). Graduated from the State Police Academy over 15yrs ago, tops in my class for the firearms and the classwork.. But got my leg blown out on the job while waiting for my placement testing for the Maryland State Police Department of Natural Resources. Always wanted this because original in high school and grad from there I started college for Marine Biology with subs in Ecology and Animal Behavior but ran out of funds to finish. :/. After got hurt I lost usage of my leg so the State sent me back to school/College for Computer Science with subs in Web & Graphics and Networking. Fighting the Insurance Companies the whole time to get my leg fixed if possible. No such luck. By the time we won in Court I was diagnosed with RSD/CRPS, http://www.rsdhope.org , and was told I would be in a wheelchair in less then 1 year. That was a little over 3.5yrs ago, rofl! Not doing great, but not in a chair yet!
Jen, my loving and understanding and beautiful Wife, is the one who is actually a Trade Member. She owns an e-store and a B&M store as well. She does jewelery, wire work (unique style of sculpting mixed with wrapping and even some soldering more about accenting the stone vs. being about the wire), custom faceting, cabbing, starting carving, and does appraisals and basic lab reports on colored gemstones. She also sells loose stones to both public and wholesale to the trade. She's been doing it for a little over a decade now. Something she wanted to do since she was a small child when her father was making Southwestern style jewelry for a Company when they lived in New Mexico. She loves colored gemstones, cut ones of course. I like them uncut, hehe. She specializes is African (Umba, Kenya, Tanzania, Mahenge, Laletema, Merelani, Mali, Winza, Loliondo, Tunduru, VOI, Landanai, etc.) as well as USA gemstones. She specializes in sapphires(untreated, heated, and high end Beryllium treated ones), garnets of all flavors(incl. mandarin spess, Merelani Yellows, Tsavorites, Merelani Mints, Malaya, and color change), zircon, tourmaline of all flavors, etc. She also tries to keep some of the more not so mainstream type stuff on hand as well. She also deals with lots of USA gemstones including sapphires, rubies, spess. garnets, pyrope garnets, star garnets, aqua, emerald, heliodor, green beryl, tourmaline, etc. She has a few lines that are her Eco or Green friendly lines where all stones are either recycled bottles and such faceted, natural stuff found alluvial in rivers/streams so no harm done to the Earth, and all would be considered Free Trade as well since no slave labor or the like, just families doing their thing and selling her the materials at a fair price.. She even does the local Art & Craft Shows as well and sets up gem mining with buckets and a water flume, for the kids, and adults... lol, for like a Community awareness and fun type deal. That's one of the reasons I love her so much! Eco and people friendly, hehe. 
and not just 
So I help her as my condition allows, which is not a whole lot most of the time, but sometimes I can help more then others. Something to keep me busy when stuck in bed and stuff like that, hehe.
Well, there ya go, mine and my Wife's life stories, lmao! Sorry, didn't mean to get quite so in depth. But if Jen can help with anything just let me know and I will forward to her. But I will be around the forums here personally to help those I can in a non-commercial and non-related to Jen's biz type of way.
Jamey
My name is Jamey. I run an information website GemAddicts to help announce and release new treatments, gemo news in general, and keep tabs on good sellers, bad sellers, and limbo sellers. And also a current project underway being our Gallery Project which is a photo gallery of all gemstones including agates and jaspers, pictures of each in the rough and faceted/cabbed, and we are working on pics of common inclusions found in them as well as those caused by treatments and the like). I also started my area's first Rock & Mineral club, Mason-Dixon Rock, Mineral, Gemological, & Lapidary Club. Just getting it started, but already lots of interest being shown.
.I've been collecting rocks & minerals since I was, well, since I can remember, lol. About 15yrs or more ago I got into cutting(cabbing) some of my lower grade collected specimens and got hooked on cutting! Started cutting opal and Oregon sunstone by hand and then built a 4" lap out of an old electric food processor/chopper thingy. Not long after snagged a Highland Park setup with 10" trim saw, 3 grinding wheels, and a polisher on the end and a B&G(or something like that) 8" GemMaster flat lap thinggy. Now, a few years back I invested in a faceting machine, a Scintillator 88, and an OMF, for concave faceting, from Zane over at Polymetric Inc. So now I am hooked on faceting as well, lol! I also tie pearls to relax, lol, don't ask, but it works for me, kind of Zen like, rofl.
I have studied, in depth, gemstones over the last decade and taught myself Gemology. But, of course, folks expect that piece of paper that says you know what you know, so I also then went to school and became a Gemologist, graduated from the ISG. I written quite a few reports and papers that have been published in everything from a few University Geology Courses(used in the course work in Intro to Gemology) to the C.I.G. (Canadian Institute of Gemology) and of course many other websites and blogs on Gemology as well as Photography. I am also a photographer(once upon a time I was a professional wedding, portrait, event, PhotoJournalist, and product shooter.... retired many many years ago) and I specialize in Infrared, B&W, product shots, macro and micro, and wildlife/nature photography. I have been published in numerous books, magazines, newspapers, etc., including even a few cover shots. One of my favorite past times is taking pictures of microscopic inclusions inside of gemstones.
. I have been shooting for a little over 2.5 decades now. Half of my mineral collection are microscopic and inside cut and rough gemstones, *snickers*. I'm just in this as a hobby and to help others with what I have learned and what I have experienced, be it Gemology, Photography, or whatever else I may be able to help with. I also am a Gourmet Cook by hobby, hehe. One of my favorite past times! Even in process of writing a cookbook, lol, but seriously, I am. http://flickr.com/photos/digitaldevo <---main portfolio
http://www.pbase.com/digitaldevo <--- older portfolio
Prior to the whole Gemology/Gemstone thing I was in Law Enforcement. Everything from armed bodyguarding, to warrant services, to aiding constables, to even Fugitive Recovery(lots of fun but scary stuff). Graduated from the State Police Academy over 15yrs ago, tops in my class for the firearms and the classwork.
. But got my leg blown out on the job while waiting for my placement testing for the Maryland State Police Department of Natural Resources. Always wanted this because original in high school and grad from there I started college for Marine Biology with subs in Ecology and Animal Behavior but ran out of funds to finish. :/. After got hurt I lost usage of my leg so the State sent me back to school/College for Computer Science with subs in Web & Graphics and Networking. Fighting the Insurance Companies the whole time to get my leg fixed if possible. No such luck. By the time we won in Court I was diagnosed with RSD/CRPS, http://www.rsdhope.org , and was told I would be in a wheelchair in less then 1 year. That was a little over 3.5yrs ago, rofl! Not doing great, but not in a chair yet! Jen, my loving and understanding and beautiful Wife, is the one who is actually a Trade Member. She owns an e-store and a B&M store as well. She does jewelery, wire work (unique style of sculpting mixed with wrapping and even some soldering more about accenting the stone vs. being about the wire), custom faceting, cabbing, starting carving, and does appraisals and basic lab reports on colored gemstones. She also sells loose stones to both public and wholesale to the trade. She's been doing it for a little over a decade now. Something she wanted to do since she was a small child when her father was making Southwestern style jewelry for a Company when they lived in New Mexico. She loves colored gemstones, cut ones of course. I like them uncut, hehe. She specializes is African (Umba, Kenya, Tanzania, Mahenge, Laletema, Merelani, Mali, Winza, Loliondo, Tunduru, VOI, Landanai, etc.) as well as USA gemstones. She specializes in sapphires(untreated, heated, and high end Beryllium treated ones), garnets of all flavors(incl. mandarin spess, Merelani Yellows, Tsavorites, Merelani Mints, Malaya, and color change), zircon, tourmaline of all flavors, etc. She also tries to keep some of the more not so mainstream type stuff on hand as well. She also deals with lots of USA gemstones including sapphires, rubies, spess. garnets, pyrope garnets, star garnets, aqua, emerald, heliodor, green beryl, tourmaline, etc. She has a few lines that are her Eco or Green friendly lines where all stones are either recycled bottles and such faceted, natural stuff found alluvial in rivers/streams so no harm done to the Earth, and all would be considered Free Trade as well since no slave labor or the like, just families doing their thing and selling her the materials at a fair price.
. She even does the local Art & Craft Shows as well and sets up gem mining with buckets and a water flume, for the kids, and adults... lol, for like a Community awareness and fun type deal. That's one of the reasons I love her so much! Eco and people friendly, hehe. and not just So I help her as my condition allows, which is not a whole lot most of the time, but sometimes I can help more then others. Something to keep me busy when stuck in bed and stuff like that, hehe. Well, there ya go, mine and my Wife's life stories, lmao! Sorry, didn't mean to get quite so in depth.
But if Jen can help with anything just let me know and I will forward to her. But I will be around the forums here personally to help those I can in a non-commercial and non-related to Jen's biz type of way. Jamey
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