Re: A wee story if I may: Many years ago, in the midst of setting a
0.25ct. diamond, the stone dropped from the bench. I wasn’t worried.
After all, we’re not talking 0.025 ct., we’re talking visible with the
naked eye from across the room. I dropped to my knees, did the
cursory sweep, didn’t find it. Then I did my stage two intensity
sweep (actually paying attention to where I was looking) ; still no
stone. Now I summoned my full powers of focus and inched my way across
the room, across my bench apron, along the edges of the cabinetry,
moving furniture around, all part of a stage three search. AGGG! Still
no stone. Now, I’m sweating bullets. After all it was “F” color, VVS
clarity. And it was big. Where could it have gone?! I called to my
husband. We repeated all the steps of the stage three search together,
and concluded the only alternative location was underneath the floor
boards of our old Victorian home ( a stretch, I’ll grant you, but hey!
I was desperate). 20 minutes later, as I’m standing over the gaping
hole in the middle of my shop, watching my husband root around in the
earth under the floor, I plunge my hands into my pockets to sulk. And
Lo! What do my fingers come in contact with, but my missing
diamond…“Sweetie?” I ask, steeling myself for my husband’s
reaction, “Guess what I just found?” The moral of the story? Always
check your pockets and your cuffs as part of stage two stone
retrieval efforts. Kate
I remember many years ago friends had hard contact lenses that used
to fall out. The’rd be a cry of “Everyone stand still!” We’d search
the floor without moving our feet and the lens would usually be found
clutching onto a skirt or even a chair leg - but five feet or so away
from the owner. These things have wings!
Tony Konrath
Gold and Stone
www.goldandstone.com
tony@goldandstone.com
I have enjoyed these posts ( also the posts on ‘evil soldering
gremlins’). Here’s something I learned at my first jewelry job (with
the amazing Merdjanian brothers). There’s a great reflex we can train
ourselves to do instinctually - (it works 90 percent of the time).
When something flies from your hand, or is dropped: with cat-like
reflexes - spin around and try to follow it with your eye and listen.
Often you will see movement in your peripheral vision or hear that it
has bounced on wood, cloth etc. It’s amazing how well this works.
When it doesn’t work, well, the shop always could use a sweeping…
HTH, Kate Wolf http://www.katewolfdesigns.com
Always check your pockets and your cuffs as part of stage two stone retrieval efforts.
kate - may i add another gemstone hiding place learned from experience
at the polishing wheel: one’s bra.
happy hunting -
ive