rockdog
Registered: Jan 07, 2008
Posts: 4
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Reply with quote | #1 |
Hi folks- I have in my collection a wonderful neptunite and benitoite specimen. The edges of the plate had been carefully trimmed and ground down by the dealer to improve the balance of the piece and enhance its display attributes. While this doesn't bother me too much, I know several collectors who prefer to keep their specimens in as close to their original condition as possible, and frown on this type of "sculpting" albeit minimal. I'd like to know how you feel about this: Just how much correction is acceptable, and when does it become excessive? Is the practice more likely to improve the desirability of a piece or diminish it? |
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rockyfeller
Registered: April 28, 2007
Posts: 32
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Reply with quote | #2 |
I regularly trim specimens to enhance their display characteristics, and I know many others that do likewise. As a field collector, it was almost mandatory to trim specimens away from large masses of matrix and I always found myself trimming to a balanced aesthetic piece. Even now, when silver picking at shows, I usually have my eye open for specimens that can be greatly "visually enhanced" by trimming to a much nicer piece. Often it only needs excessive matrix removed, other times removal of damaged crystals helps the specimen. I do try to stay away from the use of saws for trimming, and rely almost entirely on snipping and pinching to remove unwanted sections. I've ruined a few good specimens over the years, but my success ratio is high and has been well worth the few failures. Trimming can turn a mediocre specimen into a great specimen if you have the stomach to take the chance. Unless I told you a specimen had been trimmed, you would not know it. I know of no one that considers trimming to be "cheating", and it is a widespread practice used by collectors and dealers alike.
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AquaMatrixGirl
Registered: April 24, 2007
Posts: 50
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Reply with quote | #3 |
I have friends who like to HACK minerals on matrix too often, mostly to get more out of one piece by suddenly making it three? It will, in my opinion, ruin a great piece only to make it three okay pieces, but many claim they make more money this way. I am sometimes amazed when I see one of our pieces in an older publication and it is on a lot more matrix and had other crystals. When we get these pieces they are heavily trimmed already. I do have one, a gorgeous apatite, that is overly trimmed though, it is large and feels awkward on the little bit of matrix and I wish it had been left alone for ME to decide.
I have declined offers from folks who do trimming, they try to show me how something will look after it is trimmed, usually removing a few very choice crystals, and I already like the piece the way it is.
Don't get me wrong, I hate when something is big and bulky just to save a bunch of matrix...I don't mind seeing them trimmed. Or when a crystal is broken and noticeable, remove it and let the ones that aren't broken stand out. But cutting a beautiful piece just to get more $$$ doesn't always sit right with me.
One person's idea of perfection is not always anothers.
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What a long strange trip it's been... |
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johnveevaert
Moderator
Registered: April 19, 2007
Posts: 47
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Reply with quote | #4 |
This is an important topic I think. As Gail alludes I also know many dealers who look to maximize profit by turning one rare specimen into three lesser but also rare pieces. Trimming specimens is an art and a subjective one at that as what I perceive to be aesthetic may look like something that dropped out of the business end of a barn animal to someone else.
I think it is critical to scan the entire specimen first for anything unusual or otherwise key about a specimen. A good case in point, as this thread was started with, is a specimen from the Benitoite Gem Mine. 99.9% of people who collect specimens from this mine care about three minerals- benitoite, neptunite and joaquinite. The first article on the mine in the Min Rec written in 1977 By Bill Wise and Bob Gill alludes to jonesite (found only at the Benitoite Gem mine) not occuring with benitoite. Sloppy cleaning and excessive trimming might have kept that falsehood alive forever but assessing all aspects of a mineral specimen before trimming (under a microscope) and not cleaning with gusto has afforded me several specimens of jonesite WITH benitoite.
Once you take it off you can't put back. That said, if I see a way to remove damaged neptunite or benitoite crystals from the edge of a specimen or even the center that will enhance the overall appearance of a specimen then I will do it as long as no scientific information about the specimen is permanently lost. I have some pretty clunky looking specimens in my personal collection simply because the associated species or host rock variations have scientific significance and I am just a custodian of these things as they will last long after I am a faded memory...
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John Veevaert
Trinity Mineral Co. |
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AquaMatrixGirl
Registered: April 24, 2007
Posts: 50
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sandwalker
Registered: March 19, 2009
Posts: 3
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| March 19, 2009 at 09:38 AM |
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Reply with quote | #6 |
I do have a couple specimens that could do with some trimming. Actually I purchased a few cheapos in the rough for the shear reason (no pun intended) of practicing. What is the best way to trim matrix? What are some tools I would need?
I dont want to saw them, I want to keep the matrix lookng as natural as possible.
Thank you,
Joy
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johnveevaert
Moderator
Registered: April 19, 2007
Posts: 47
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