Molly Garnette

VapidLapid · Aug 25, 2011

So in the downtime on my travels to RI, Cape Cod, and Maine, I have been on a binge. In addition to the three new stones from Gene driving around in my Packard, I have this mali garnet asscher from gemfix. I am afraid I have to call it Sybil, because it displays so many different personalities. You may notice also from the pictures that I bought a microscope. Edmund Optics was having a clearance sale with 50% off some items and there was this stereo 20x/40x at half price so I ordered it. WoW. I did not buy any camera adapters ot anything. I set my canon SD950 to macro, put the lens right up to the eyepiece and fired. The stone is sitting on the glass top of an antique dissection microscope with a mirror at 45º under it. you can see sometimes the reflection of the camera lens and/or the stone and its reflection both.
First up is a picture of a feather in the stone that I did not see with a loupe. the stone is loupe clean, but the 20x reveals both awesome things and things one might not want to find.

VapidLapid · Aug 25, 2011

VapidLapid · Aug 25, 2011

VapidLapid · Aug 25, 2011

VapidLapid · Aug 25, 2011

centralsquare · Aug 25, 2011

Wow - amazing photos!

pregcurious · Aug 26, 2011

Beautiful stone. I like seeing small inclusions--there's something very neat about them.

jstarfireb · Aug 26, 2011

That's awesome! I saw that stone on Gemfix and was thinking I should get it, but I always held off for some reason. I'm glad you got it!

Arkteia · Aug 26, 2011

What a beautiful stone. And absolutely amazing photos.

JewelFreak · Aug 26, 2011

Great pics! And a lovely lovely stone. Looking at gems through a microscope is entering an entire new world -- it is fascinating, the stuff you see.

--- Laurie

chrono · Aug 26, 2011

A well coloured mali garnet with a high crown that should wow the eye constantly! I can look at your photography everyday and never be bored. Those pictures are amazing.

ooo~Shiney! · Aug 26, 2011

Swooning.....

Some of my favorite shots on PS are those of
microscopic inclusions ~ I have always found it fascinating:
"the world we cannot see with our own eyes"

It's like gazing into outer space and wondering what's out there or something

I really hope you plan to photograph more stones like this,
and I found that feather enchanting !!!!!

Congratulations on the microscope !

SB621 · Aug 26, 2011

OH i must have missed that on gemfix because I have been looking for a green garent asscher. It is stunning and i love the pictures you sent. I have never looked at gems under the microscope...keep them coming!

VapidLapid · Aug 26, 2011

We have sun in NY today so I took advantage to try to get more accurate colors. After the first few shots I noticed my color balance was still set to tungsten. I might have noticed it sooner but for the capriciousness of colors in camera. The delicacy of the flower was properly rendered by the tungsten setting with the sunlight, while the color of the stone was quite off. The first three pics here then are the mixed balance and the rest of them are matched sunlight setting to sunlight.
A not about the flower. I bought this plant about 9 years ago at the union square greenmarket. At the same time a friend of mine bought another of the same, but with yellow flowers. His died a few months later for want of care. I have no idea what this plant is. I look everytime I go to the market and never have found one again. If anyone knows what it is pllease let me know. The leaves are thin and it does not like to go dry. I propagated it once by layering. Flowers come about 8 months a year. The dried up flower and leaf at the end are from the same plant.