I finally completed some spheres!  It has been awhile.  As always with new material, there seems to be a lot of back and forth as I try to figure out what it likes best.  

I am very happy with the Lions Skin.  I ended up going to cerium for the polish.  It worked like a charm.  there are 2 more in the works, both off of different boulders, so it will be interesting to see if they work up the same.

The Parrot Wing Chrysocolla, all though not a new material for me, is always a challenge.  This on held up exceptionally well and I am pleased with the results.

This Tiffany Stone sphere is overall out of a much harder material than I have had in the past.  The multiple different hardnesses make it a challenge to keep it in the round.  It does have pits that are natural in the material.  

The fails for the past week are the Swiss Coffee and Indian Paint Rock..  I had high hopes for the Swiss Coffee.  The patterns are so similar to Polish Flint.  Alas it is just too fractured to hold together through the rough grind process.  Very disappointing.  The Indian Paint rock never even made it into a cube.  On the final cut it split diagonally into 2 pieces across the center of the the cube.  I will really need to take a good look and the other chunks off this boulder.  Unlike the Swiss Coffee, I di not have any reservations about this boulder.  You just never know what is on the inside of these things.

In the saws:  a cube shaping up of a beautiful gold and black Ocean Breeze from Oregon, a Lemon Chrysoprase having the corners remove, & a bright blue Mexican Chrysocolla looking for its first perfect face.  Alan is slabbing some Argentinian Blue Calcite.  

What to cut next is always a question.  I can't decide if I want to start some Jade.  I now have a collection of sphering pieces.  I have finally sourced some Magnetite in Jade from Stoddard Wells, Ca.  There is Black Jade from Wyoming and several chunks of BC Jade.  They are such a long grind to round.........

Then there is a whole shed full of the amazing material I have picked up this year.  Where to start.

Stay safe and thanks for reading.......