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 Post subject: Thank You GO for Networking Results
PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 12:19 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:20 pm
Posts: 108
Location: Cape Town S.Africa
Thank you for putting me in contact with Ed Bristol-I haven't met him in
person yet,but hope to before very long.I have really enjoyed his personal
communications and for transferring his knowledge.Cheers Ed.

Thank you also for putting Duncan Miller in contact with me.He came to lunch
today and my wife fell in love with him[more later].Such an interesting and
knowledgeble[sp?] man.He has 2 PhD's in geology and something else,plus being
a well-qualified gemologist,very smart and willing to freely share his knowledge[I think
I spelled that right!]We could not believe that we had to make contact via a site in
California and he lives a 20min drive from me.
I was trying to pick his brains on gemology,but then we discovered he had done work
for years on cave paintings,sea levels,ancient shell middens etc for UCT[University of
Cape Town]studies and publications about Verlorenvlei[Lost Lake] near Elands Bay on
the Western Cape coast.We have a holiday cottage there on a RAMSAR[International
Wetlands Site]-where South Africa was settled[by Europeans] long before America was
"discovered" by Europeans.Of course,America was not "discovered" but was already
populated by native Americans[If politically incorrect term,please edit] and our West Coast
by the San.Although my wife is a barrister[lawyer,not sure what it is in USA] her true love
is archaeology and geology.She was going to go out and leave us to talk "gems" but,guess
what,she totally hijacked the discussion-local geology,botany,tortoises,aardvaarks,porcupines,
you name it.
Anyway,the long and the short of it is that Duncan and partner will be revisiting Verlorenvlei
and staying with us
in the near future.
So,thank you GO.Much appreciated.


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 Post subject: Re: Thank You GO for Networking Results
PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 6:30 pm 
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Moderator: Lapidary Arts and Tools
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Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:41 pm
Posts: 5534
Location: Massachusetts, USA
You are very fortunate. Duncan is a fine fellow, and very knowledgeable!

_________________
https://gearloose.co/


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 Post subject: Re: Thank You GO for Networking Results
PostPosted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 12:22 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:20 pm
Posts: 108
Location: Cape Town S.Africa
Thanks Gearloose
I cannot agree more.We have developed a very good
relationship.I had a load of uncut citrines and aqua
and he sold most of the citrines for me and cut some
of the citrine aqua on a "one for me,one for you basis",
which I was very happy with as the cutting cost of them
would have been more than the value of the rough.
They were all brilliantly[pun intended] cut and we both got
some fine stones.The citrine was cut so well that I asked if
it was a concave cut.Apparently not.
My wife is citrine mad[fortunately not for diamonds,Paraiba
tourmaline etc] and immediately grabbed the best citrine.
I also met a German guy with Duncan,who is demantoid mad
and goes to weird places in Namibia to find rough.He had rough
cut in Idar-Oberstein and by Duncan and said there is no comparison
for quality.
So for any of you who needs cutting done and can get stuff to South
Africa without falling foul of the Customs/VAT people,at the rate of
current exchange $/Rand,his prices are ridiculous compared to anywhere
else and his quality is fabulous and I can vouch for his integrity.If anyone
is interested,with his permission I will supply contact details.For him it is
more of a hobby than a full-time occupation,so he can spend a lot more
time than a commercial operation to get things right.
And,by the way,he doesn't give me a commission.


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 Post subject: Re: Thank You GO for Networking Results
PostPosted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 1:54 am 
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Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 2:51 am
Posts: 755
Location: South Africa
Ray, thanks for the glowing recommendation :oops: but I should clarify that I don't usually cut citrine and other low value gems. For the past few years I have specialised in custom cutting Namibian demantoid garnet and other high-value stones, for which I charge what is for South Africa a comparatively high rate - about half the cost of precision faceting in the US and Canada. I don't cut large parcels - generally single stones or a couple at a time. Shipping cut gemstones out of South Africa can be problematic, unless the overseas customer has a courier and linked insurance account and is prepared to take the risk of loss. So I don't anticipate being inundated with overseas requests for work.


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