At this point, I have sawn the back and top and used an abrasion tool to remove matrix that was covering the top of the left hand portion of the specimen.

This is the finished specimen, full of undamaged, lustrous crystals. This specimen is now in the personal collection of a private collector.

Here is a closeup of the lower right of the specimen.

Benitoite and Neptunite

This is a specimen owned by a private collector. The owner had purchased this unetched specimen at a show and hired me to etch it. This specimen presented a number of challenges. First, there was a small specimen in the back that needed to be removed and prepared. There was a large area of matrix covering the left hand portion of the specimen that needed to be removed very carefully so as to not damage any of the crystals below. Lastly, I had to be extra careful during the etching process as large specimens are always tricky. I'm very pleased with how this one came out, it measures about a foot across and is covered with bright and lustrous Benitoite and Neptunite crystals.

Above, Neptunite specimen before etching

Above, Neptunite specimen after etching, owned by Marin Mineral Company

Neptunite

This is a specimen owned by the Marin Mineral Company. The owner hired me to etch a number of specimens, this is a Neptunite that we were both quite happy with! The specimen measures about 6 inches across.

Benitoite

4.01 ct
At the Santa Clara Show in 2005, a customer came to me and asked if I could clean some Benitoite specimen his father had collected. These rocks had sat outside for 40 - 50 years! The piece of rough that cut this stone came off of a broken crystal that many people would have not looked twice at (it was very dirty and covered with lichen!), I save everything for my customers when I clean specimens for them. Well, once I got this piece cleaned up, I could tell it had facet potential, so I consulted my customer and got their permission to send it off to my cutter. The result: a 4.01 carat heirloom worth over $20,000.00!