#gemcut

[luna4sart]

Guess who did a commission? This owl! For a pretty cool artist @smolsasaIt's kinda awesome that years after drawing her magic I get to draw her magic crystals too. ^^

[silverravenstudio]

✨𝘉𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘖𝘱𝘢𝘭✨

✧ On its own, Opal is well-revered. Throughout history, early humans thought of it as a mystical “night stone” that glowed in the confines of pitch-black caves. Eventually, it took on a meaning of mysticism and power. Many civilizations thought it held the remnants of spirits.

✧ Boulder Opal is unique in its own right. Miners first discovered it in 1870 in Australia. To this day, most of the Boulder Opal on the market is found in Western Queensland.

✧ Shamans & Healers believe that the overarching meaning of Boulder Opal is betterment. Its energy is about improving your life and chasing your dreams.

[cityofgemblog]

The Timeless Art of Cabochon Gem Cutting: Sri Lankan Style

In the heart of Sri Lanka, an ancient tradition of gem cutting continues to thrive, passing down from generation to generation. This image captures the essence of that enduring tradition, featuring an old Sri Lankan craftsman meticulously cutting and polishing cabochon gems using a traditional, hand-operated gem polishing machine.

Sri Lanka, known as the "City of Gems," boasts a rich heritage in gemstone craftsmanship. Among the most cherished skills is the cutting of star stones and cat's eye gems, which requires not only a deep understanding of the stones but also a practiced hand. The traditional gem polishing machine, seen in the image, is an integral part of this heritage. Its use demands a combination of knowledge, experience, and skill to bring out the unique optical phenomena in star stones and cat's eye gems.

Cutting these stones is far from easy. It involves understanding the intricate properties of each gem. Star stones, for example, exhibit asterism – a star-like effect that appears on the surface of the stone when it is cut en cabochon. Similarly, cat's eye stones display chatoyancy, a phenomenon where a narrow band of light appears to move across the surface of the stone, reminiscent of a cat's eye. Achieving these effects requires a meticulous approach to cutting and polishing, ensuring that the light interacts with the stone in precisely the right way.

The craftsman in the image is a testament to the dedication and expertise required for this work. With years of practice, these artisans develop an intimate understanding of the stones they work with. They know how to handle each piece, how to read its natural lines and inclusions, and how to cut it to maximize its beauty and value. This level of craftsmanship is rare and precious, much like the stones themselves.

At "City of Gem," we are proud to uphold this tradition. We employ expert cutters who specialize in cabochon cuts, star stones, and cat's eye stones. These artisans are not just gem cutters; they are keepers of a legacy, ensuring that the traditional Sri Lankan methods of gem cutting remain alive and well. Their work is not only a job but a passion, reflected in the exceptional quality of the gems they produce.

Our commitment to quality means that each stone is handled with the utmost care and precision. Whether it’s a star sapphire or a cat’s eye chrysoberyl, our expert cutters bring out the best in each gem, highlighting its unique properties and enhancing its natural beauty. This dedication to excellence ensures that when you purchase a gem from us, you are getting a piece of Sri Lankan heritage, crafted with skill and love.

We invite you to experience this timeless tradition firsthand. Whether you are a gemstone enthusiast, a collector, or simply someone who appreciates fine craftsmanship, there is something truly special about witnessing the creation of these beautiful stones. Visit us at "City of Gem" and see for yourself the artistry and dedication that goes into every piece.

[dragonbleps]

opens seven tabs of research to get the right description for a phrase that'll be used exactly one (1) time in this WIP

that's just how writing goes

[danugroupsblog]

"Step into the world where raw beauty meets refined craftsmanship.

Witness the magic as rough stones are meticulously transformed into treasures of exquisite beauty, one facet at a time. ✨

[stochastique-blog]

Love you

@lerogems НОВИНКА Гидротермальный хризоберилл!

Уникальный минерал, который так редко встречается в природе. Несмотря на свою редкость данный камень стал известен с древних времен и его востребованность не спадает с течением времени. Свое название хризоберилл получил от греческого слова “хризос” - “золотой”. Сегодня ТАЙРУС является мировым лидером по выращиванию уникальных драгоценных камней. Гидротермальный хризоберилл, по своим характеристикам абсолютно идентичный природному!

Еще один берилл из коллекции TAIRUS GEMS. Сегодня хризоберилл популярен в Европе. Зелено-голубоватый оттенок, насыщенный цвет, высокое качество огранки – все это делает хризоберилл ТАЙРУС идеальным для создания и реализации ювелирных шедевров.

Основные характеристики хризоберилла: - Химическая формула: Al2BeO4. - Твердость: 8,5. - Плотность: 3,7. - Светопреломление: 1,744-1,755 #изумруд #рубин #сапфир #александрит #морганит #рубеллит #украшенияназаказ #ювелир #ювелиркиев #ювелирукраина #ювелирныекамни #lab_created #lerogems #labgemstone #gemstones #gemstone #coloredgems #coloredgem #labcreatedgems #created #labcreated #greengems #stone #green #rawstone #rawstones #cutstone #gems #gemcutting #emerald #gemlover #emeralds #ruby #colombianemerald #colombianstone #sapphire #огранка #огранкаподзаказ #ювелирныеизделия #ювелирныевставки #изделиеназаказ #ювелир #ювелирный #камень @lerogems https://www.instagram.com/p/BwrMUXQB5Xr/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=b89m50ns5rdi

[bastardtrait]

and while sage was there at the library, he picked up a book on diy gemcutting! and with that, he set out on his journey to become the first scooter gemologist.

Sage: ooooh boy i can't wait to live out my #cosygame dreams and run a one-man factory out of my bedroom

[ariaste]

Can I ask your process on editing? I am currently in my second round of edits (beta read) for a short story collection and a second draft for a novel (which is getting A LOT of changes now that the first draft is done)

If everyone has a different writing process I have a feeling editing is even more varied but I'm curious to what your process is and how you decide to stop editing/which edit will be the final one

My editing process varies depending on the book. Every book is different, so every book has different needs. There are books I have published which are almost a raw first draft (Tadek and the Princess) and there are books I have spent 7 years drafting and redrafting and REDRAFTING (A Taste of Gold and Iron), and there are books which I drafted in 3 months and then had to do really heavy revisions on.

But if I had to pick sort of an overarching thing... Editing is about looking at the big picture. Like, if writing was coming up with the world, editing is about doing geographical surveys and strategic terraforming and paving over those initial trails you blazed through the wilderness. What helps with those tasks? A MAP. You cannot hold a whole book in your head at once, so if you know the draft is clunky and the engine is making weird noises when you rev it up, a useful trick that I sometimes use is to make a murderboard. A murderboard is essentially a map of the book. Here is a previous post i wrote about murderboards, with links to two examples of murderboards I did for actual published books.

As for when to stop editing... when I can take a step back from the book and say, "Yep, this is the way I want it to be." Sometimes that means taking it to a high polish that you can see your face in; sometimes it means intentionally leaving it rustic. It's like gemcutting versus those big log carvings that people make using only a chainsaw. Or photorealistic painting versus impressionism. They're both art, they're both beautiful, but the effect is different (and with writing, there's always a risk that someone will look at a piece of writing that is intentionally left "raw" and say "this is Bad BECAUSE it's not polished to a high gloss" rather than asking whether that might have been an intentional artistic choice on the part of the writer (or interrogating why they think something has to be "perfect" to be artistically valuable).

So I guess the lesson there is like... Develop the self-knowledge to be aware of what goal you're aiming for, know when you've reached it (or what steps you can take to move closer to it), trust the process but also admit when the process is over, and forgive yourself for being human. You can't actually make a perfect piece of art, and if you did then it wouldn't really be YOURS, would it? Your art is going to have your fingerprints on it. That's good, that's the point. And I really feel like in the age of AI, we as a society might start to develop a real appreciation for writing that IS raw in that way that only a human can produce, the same way that the advent of photography led to the huge rise in more stylized, "weird" art rather than purely representational art.

Hope that helps!

[samueldays]

I have made the mistake of letting myself be talked into running the Exalted RPG again. Rereading the 3e corebook, I am reminded that the mechanics are bizarrely bad in so many different ways.

Like many RPGs, Exalted has abstract skills that cover wide categories, as a matter of gameplay convenience and character archetypes. "Melee" skill applies to both dagger and polearm. "Perform" skill applies to both harp and trumpet. "Larceny" skill applies to both disguise and pickpocketing.

except for the "Craft" skill!

Craft is bought as a series of narrow subskills like Craft (carpentry) or Craft (woodwork) - yes, those are canonical examples. Some are oriented to a material like Craft (gemcutting), some are oriented to a result like Craft (weapon forging).

This is dumb in its own right, to have one skill which is sliced much more finely than the others, and so costs much more XP than the others to achieve similarly broad competence.

This is super dumb in the context of the previous edition, which tried dividing Craft only five ways by element: Air, Earth, Fire, Wood, Water. But then the previous edition quickly picked up esoteric elements like "Vitriol" and non-elements like "Necrotech" in splatbooks, and they had a great test case in Craft becoming bloated with too many subtypes, and a hint that Craft should be unified into a single skill. They did not take the hint.

And then there's Excellencies.

Exalted 2e was already suffering a problem of Charm bloat. ("Charm" is the name of a single discrete superpower, a character will have many of them.)

Exalted 3e made an attempt to slim that down by declaring that Excellencies, the basic dice-adder Charm, should not have their own rules entry and should not cost XP, being instead a side benefit of knowing a proper Charm in the appropriate Ability. It was not very effective, but there was an attempt.

And then I see that Exalted 3e reversed this decision for the Dragon-Blooded Charms, for some godforsaken reason. DB Excellencies were turned into a sort of Minimum Viable Product that is dice-adder + a tiny benefit like "a stunt award for this roll also gives a silver craft point". The benefit varies by Excellency.

So we are back to Charm bloat, PLUS de-standardization as an ass-backward reason for why Excellencies should exist as separate charms, PLUS inconsistency between Solar Excellency and Draconic Excellency mechanics in use, PLUS inconsistency at the abstraction level of character progression and learning Charms.

[satureja13]

The Boys are back home from their trip to Henford where they'd celebrated Summer Solstice. Time to return to their underground police department and send Ji Ho back ingame to investigate Jack's murder. Vlad isn't happy about this. There is a killer on the loose ingame. What if he kills Ji Ho too and Ji Ho has to endure his dying in full consciousness? Anything feels, smells, looks, sounds, tastes so real ingame. And so they are arguing back and forth. Ji Ho wants to go back. He wants to chase Jack's murderer and he needs to dig his feelings out. And he also wants to provide the Therapy Game for other creatures in need. Ji Ho and Vlad actually don't need to talk at all, they know very well how the other feels over their Bond. I guess they do this hoping the others would chime in and take their side. But they are just quietly doing their stuff and enjoy the show. Ji Ho and Vlad never talked to each other that much ^^' And even though they are arguing, that's a good sign that their relationship slowly evolves. Vlad: "Don't go." Ji Ho: "Jack is your best friend and there are creatures out there who need our help. You know I have to go. And I want to get my feelings back - I want to love you."

'Came in from the city walked into the door I turned around when I heard the sound of footsteps on the floor Said he was a killer, now I know it's true I'm dead when you walkout the door Hey babe I'm hooked on you

Can't stop now Don't you know I ain't never gonna let you go Don't go'

Yazoo - Don't Go

Eventually Vlad gave in. He also wants to arrest and punish Jack's killer. But he insisted to charge the bond before Ji Ho logs in. They are still a bit weak after teleporting the TukTuk and he wants Ji Ho in a good condition ingame, in full strength and awareness. What Ji Ho didn't expected was, that Vlad was kissing him instead of just hugging him, as usual! Poor Vlad. He must be very afraid and upset, so wants to make sure the Bond is fully charged. Otherwise he wouldn't have done this, since he always refuses any (avoidable) romantic interactions as long as Ji Ho doesn't love him.

Now Ji Ho doesn't want to leave ^^' Vlad: "Be careful. Come back to me - log out immediately if anything is odd." Ji Ho: "Don't worry. I will come back ..." and then he whispered "... for more."

Vlad wanted to watch over Ji Ho from inside the chamber but Sai didn't allow it. Vlad is so upset, he would pull out Ji Ho at the slightest disturbance and compromise their investigations. So he sat outside. Saiwa: "You gave him hell ^^' " Ji Ho: "You heard it?" Saiwa: "We all heard it." Ji Ho: "Oh."

The others were worried about Ji Ho too and wanted to watch his every move, but they continued their work to not make Vlad even more axious.

And then Princess Jihovere was back in Saarburg. Only a few minutes after she left the game. The crack was still there!

And there was still an opening! Princess Jihovere stepped closer to see what's down there.

'There's evil in the air and there's thunder in the sky And a killer's on the bloodshot streets And down in the tunnels where the deadly are rising Oh, I swear I saw a young boy down in the gutter He was starting to foam in the heat'

Bat out of Hell - Meatloaf

And then she saw him. There really was someone down there far below!

The Princess knelt on the ground to take a closer look and maybe find out who it was. And what he was doing. He was picking up the gemcut skull Greg had lost/sacrificed! Is this the crossroads demon who fulfilled Greg's imprecise 'change their hearts' wish, somehow mistook it and took Jack's heart so he died? ö.Ö' Omg and Greg said 'their hearts' - is there/will there be another corpse?

She must have made a careless noise because the demon looked up to her - and cast a spell! And he looks like Kiyoshi! (Since he's a NPC it's kind of obvious that Tiny Can chose Kiyoshi, because he really is a demon.)

The spell hit the Princess and for a few short seconds - before she blacked out - she felt everything. All her lost feelings - all at once. The pain, the loss, the sadness - but also joy and love! So much brighter than anything Ji Ho ever felt before!

Luckily Greg and The Queen still were near and heard the Princess' scream.

The Queen: "Godess! Is she dead?"

Greg carried the Princess back to Saarburg. When she regained consciousness, she looked in the lifeless eyes of a skeleton. Did the demon now kill her too?

Oh no, poor Vlad! They are monitoring everything back home, Vlad must have witnessed his death! And he felt through their bond what Ji Ho felt. He must be devastated. But Ji Ho can't log out yet. He's still ingame, not like Jack, who'd been kicked out after he found himself dead. Maybe he can ask the skeleton some questions about the demon? And maybe NPC Jack is here too? Wherever 'here' is...

to be continued...

TMI: After Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode, he and Alison Moyet formed Yazoo (they'd known each other since school days). Later Vince formed Erasure and Alison started a solo career. Alison Moyet has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard o.o

The Therapy Game Master Post with the sessions and places so far is -> here

From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest Current Chapter: 'Who killed Jack?' from the beginning ▶️ here Last Chapter: 🕹️ 'The One' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

[noamuth]

House Strighym: Provider of Fine and Decorative Art

While many Noble Houses in Menzoberranzan vie for political power, strength and influence, Nedvyllanna prioritizes wealth and vanity. Her House is one of artists and crafters, the best of the best--particularly painters and jewelers.

Art is highly valued among Lolthite drow, and skilled artisans are at a premium. Nedvyllanna sends talent scouts out to peruse the bazaar whenever her current artisans seem to be stagnating, and this helps them not only look for new talent, but also to see what sort of trends are rising and falling in the markets.

Rather than talent scouts directly confronting a potential addition to the House's crafters, several pieces of their art is bought to bring back to Nedvyllanna and the Head House Merchant for appraisal. If deemed of high enough quality, the artist is brought into the House to serve as one of House Strighym's artisans.

Dalamus' skills were recognized as so valuable as to be brought into the House as a Master of Crafts for the decorative arts of gemcutting and silversmithing. In addition to creating jewelry to sell, he was also to oversee the other jewelers to make sure the quality remained high.

The other Master of Crafts, Kalanzar, was in charge of overseeing the same for the fine arts of painting and sculpture sold by House Strighym. Both of them report to the Head House Merchant, Rikorvir.

[cityofgemblog]

"Caught in the precision of gem cutting! 🔍

Our expert is meticulously inspecting each facet through a loupe, ensuring perfection in every stone. From rough to radiant, our gems undergo meticulous scrutiny to bring out their true brilliance. 💎✨

[dragonbleps]

Which of the Dals have killed the most? :)c

We love fictional death and violence <3

Okay SO, it's actually kind of interesting--

Dalamus Sarangerel (Final Fantasy 14/XIV), despite being the youngest of all (humanoid?) Dals and leaning more heavily towards the Good side of the Good/Neutral/Evil spectrum, has probably killed the most people. As Warrior of Light, he's basically a one man army and an unstoppable living weapon, sent into enemy territory often on his own and plowing through anyone (or anything) getting in his way, up to and including defeating gods. While he's a "good guy," whether his actions are "good" or not depends on perspective, of course. That's a lot of death.

Dalamus Rex (The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim), is next in line. Turned into a vampire against his will (or, rather, without his knowledge until it was too late), with no guidance from a Sire, and little regard for the lives of others, Dalamus was an unpredictable hellion for the first century of getting used to his vampirism. The day after he Turned, he slaughtered a good portion of Whiterun as guards attempted to take him in for the murder of his fiance, his first victim. Over the next century he would vacillate between guilt-ridden and blood-starved, and a blood-starved vampire kills far more than it needs to feed.

Over time, he has mellowed out and gotten himself under control, largely for the safety and comfort of his loved ones--they are the anchor of his morality. He does not kill to feed or indulge in bloodlust if he can help it. ...But he does enjoy ripping and tearing and maiming. He's scary in battle because he enjoys it, fights unfairly, and he's hard to kill.

Dalamus Strighym (DnD/Baldur's Gate 3). A Drow born in Menzoberranzan, one learns self defense really quickly in order to survive. But that is what most of his kills have been: self defense. That said, he does not shy away from killing if it serves his own interest, either. He killed his older brother Orgoll, and has killed rivals in the gemcutting/lapidary trade. He killed in defense of his Matron while serving House Strighym as Patron. And he kills enemies who threaten his goal of removing the Mind Flayer parasite and returning to Menzoberranzan (which he doesn't yet realize will never happen, barring one rescue mission).

Dalrex the Deathclaw (Fallout) admittedly new in my roster of Dals and not really fleshed out much, but as an Alpha Deathclaw, trouble tends to find him. He wants nothing more than to be left alone and hoard shiny objects and interesting materials and gadgets, but, well... When resources are scarce and rumor comes around there's a big pile of them sitting around somewhere, guarded by a single Deathclaw, some people are willing to take that chance.

Dalmatius Damon Rex (Fantasy Modern Earth AU). Damon Rex became a vampire on purpose in order to exact very dramatic revenge on his abusive father, killing him brutally. But beyond that, he has only ever killed maybe a handful of people over his 250 years, some out of self-defense, and some on accident when learning to control his new thirst. Maybe a few who discovered he was a vampire and attempted to slay him.

Pokemon verse Dal, MonHun verse Dal, and Stardew verse Dal have not killed anyone. As far as I know lmao

[the-world-annealing]

The Fairy Godmother's Gift

"...good heavens! Only your foot, of all the kingdom's, fits this glass slipper! Do you know what this means?"

"...yes my prince, it's me. The woman you dan-"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll get to that, what I want to know is how you made this slipper."

"Huh?"

"I mean, obviously I had my scholars take a look at this thing the moment I found it on my doorstep, and they all told me that it was utterly beyond modern glassblowing techniques. It fits only your foot, out of millions! Even the greatest artisans can't make anything to that degree of precision! And yet you carelessly left it behind as you ran away."

"I guessed the fairy godmother could always make new ones, if I really needed them."

"Wait, a fairy godmother? You have the favor of the fairies? Why are you living in squalor?"

"All her spells wears off at midnight. It's a literal party trick, nothing more."

"I'm quite literally still holding this slipper."

"That's weird, the rest of my outfit changed back. So it doesn't automatically transform back at midnight... and she can't just unconditionally reverse all her enchantments either... Which means the midnight thing was a lie, and she has to actively focus on an item to turn it back?"

"It would explain why the sole thing to retain its new shape was the one both of you misplaced. But the particulars don't matter, the fact that her creations can stick around permanently does."

"...and that means..."

"Our struggling kingdom is saved! We'll be the microengineering capital of the region, the empire, the world! Glassblowing, goldsmithing, gemcutting... and who knows, perhaps some future technology will greatly benefit from the ability to arrange gold thread with nanometer-level precision."

"Hold on, how are you getting the fairy godmother to play along with all that? She just wants to help her charges move up in the world. Me, my mother, my grandmother..."

"..."

"Oh."

"Ella... will you marry me?"

[lemonlamblaura]

For the fanfic ask game: 5. What’s something you learned while researching a fic?

Ooh, this was a fun one!

In chapter 10, I had to read about lapidaries, or rather, gemcutters. More precisely, I wanted to show a scene of the gemcutters working, and it took a lot of work to find historical accounts of how it was done, specifically in the late middle ages to Renaissance period. I suppose with newer methods of gemcutting, people didn't bother to keep much documentation of old ways of doing it. Most of what I learned I showed in the scene with the experienced lapidarist filing down a sapphire. I also learned that the dust from the gems was kept to use in medicine of all things! This is shown in chapter 20 when Astaroth comes back and gets an elixir made of juice, herbs, and crystal dust. Different crystals had different effects on the body. People also thought the light that shone from crystals was holy or had a special power to it. It was all very interesting!

Thanks for your question! 🩷🩷🩷

[strangerconnection]

honestly my gemverse shit so self indulgent etc etc i throw half these characters are like milk-soaked webkinz cats. ofc theres like indepth lore but on tbe surface level it looks like im just throwing some poor gems against a brick wall. theres so much convoluted random shit that i bullshit my way thru. like anathema beinf technically a fusion but actually he is the result of a fusion getting shattered and then rebuilt but with the pieces of both the silica n calcite n hes nothing like his old components

also the fucking calcites in general executioners who end up cannibals half the time bcuz they're meant to crush gems with their teeth. they got replaced eventually but a ton still exist AND they're a common accidental inclusion. so gems end up w calcite traits often

also the process of gem-making.... so they're injected into kindergartens BUT they're taken out later in the form of raw gems and they are given their gemcuts by WARDITES via cutting with super sharp claws. this is also how certain defects and cut qualities occur. then once the gems are put back in the kindergartens to have their forms develop fully n later emerge :-P