Hi All:
Since reminding everyone the other day about my wish to see a
Faceting Museum become a reality and at a good location, I have
received several suggestions…some have originated here at this
site.
Wayne mentioned that the Fallbrook G & M Society (California) has a
collection. I was already aware of this one because of several old
faceting machines being donated to the Fallbrook group by the Guild
of which I am a member…the Faceters Guild of Southern California.
I did not know that the old machines were to be given away by the
FGSC, and that only makes me more determined to see that old
faceting related equipment is kept for use in a Faceting Museum. The
Fallbrook location may deservedly be the best to be found for such a
museum, I am not saying it should not be the place. I do not know of
many locations to suggest that are better. I have not even seen the
Fallbrook museum, so I am probably not being fair here.
One other location comes to my mind right away…the GIA campus at
Oceanside. It is an excellent and beautiful campus, but with security
the way it is today, you have to get past a guard to obtain a pass,
and then you have limited access to the area. I would like the public
to have easy access to the museum. I suggested to GIA many months ago
that I would like to see a Faceting Museum located on campus. They
did not have space at that time. Maybe it will work out in the
future.
What locations do you think would be as good or better?
I know there is a lapidary museum in the central U.S., in South
Dakota. I have not seen the museum there either, but maybe that is
the right place for an area to be devoted to Faceting Interests. I
would be against just putting Faceting together with Cabochon
creation. The two are vastly different worlds, in my viewpoint. To
be grouped together would take away interest in both forms of
shaping colored gem material. Again, this is just my view. I am not
criticizing, I am just trying to make what I think are constructive
suggestions.
John Withey emailed from near Daytona Beach FL that the Tomaoka Gem
and Mineral Society is forming a new group that is interested in the
Museum idea and working with me to see a Faceting Museum become a
reality. I appreciate their interest in my pet project.
I appreciate Dalan Hargrave’s that the GIA is currently
developing a museum. And Dalan gave me another person to contact
there. I know a museum will happen some day at GIA. I would like to
see it happen NOW! The jewelry store industry has been concentrating
almost entirely on Diamonds for so many years, but now colored stones
are gaining public interest, and I am sure that GIA will soon be
giving more and more interest to beautiful colored After
all, the GIA stresses the four “C’s” and so do the jewelers. But now
that fourth C (CUT) is finally getting more respect. GIA is giving a
presentation at Tucson in February concerning the CUT quality and
features of I am already signed up for the Saturday four
hour morning session of that GIA class. I am eager to learn more
about CUT.
In this morning’s posts, Johnnie Davis mentions that he has two
O’Brien machines in his garage. This is a perfect example of the
faceting equipment that I want to be saved for a museum, if I get my
way.
Jeff Ford mentioned to me a very old machine that he was looking
into. From Jeff’s I saw a picture of another perfect
entry for the museum.
Lets hear from the Australians. They also have manufacturers of
faceting machines, and should keep suitable examples of their early
equipment. I am not aware of them, but I would expect that there are
good sources in Europe, and elsewhere. I heard from a fellow in Sri
Lanka, wondering if my book discusses that country’s early faceting
equipment. I am aware of the Jamb Peg machines, as you will see in
my book, but I am not aware of other examples of Sri Lankan early
equipment. I sure do not know everything about it, but I want to
learn.
Thanks for your interest in the Museum project. Keep coming up with
good suggestions, and above all, hang onto that old equipment for
now.
Glenn Klein, G.G.
Lake Forest CA USA
Faceting History: Cutting Diamonds & Colored Stones, book information