Faceting a helenite gemstone.

In this video i cut and polish a piece of helenite volcanic ash gem material.
This comes from mt st. helens volcanic ash after the eruption of the volcano in 1980.
Different additives can give the material different colors. The one i used is the green variety. Thanks to john c for sending the material.
Helenite cuts and polishes easily, i used a darkside lap and cerium oxide to polish it.

[@user-sv4pp8lp8e]

Thanks for sharing this video and great cut👍

[@tennpikr74]

thanks very much

[@johncrumpley8702]

Beautiful cut, Brent. Some of the cutters here in Nevada don't like Helenite. When I ask them if they've tried it, they haven't. The rough cuts/polishes great, and the finished product looks great. Thanks for the share... I always enjoy your techniques.

[@tennpikr74]

Thank you john.

[@jeffholmes1362]

Lovely stone, and a great explanation of the process.

[@tennpikr74]

Thank you.

[@Ciceroinvencoeseartes]

Top excelent 👏👏👏👏👏👍

[@stratagemsgemart]

That's cool something different for step cut crowns nice job mate

[@tennpikr74]

thanks so much.

[@billfranks1905]

Nice

[@donloughrey1615]

Good.

[@martinmatysek8807]

This loocking so good!
I’m living in Czech Republic and this stone is Moldavite from CZ?
I have some collection of this stone’s, but in original!

[@whackidoodle]

Would love to see your final reveal in natural sunlight! Nice job still 👍🏼

[@gemfaceter]

Another great video Brent thanks for sharing.

[@tennpikr74]

Thanks for watching.

[@Liburni]

Thanks for video Brent. Beautiful precise cut bravo .

[@tennpikr74]

Thanks.

[@MadaraUchiha-wj8sl]

Wow

[@richallenOU812]

Thanks Brent ! great helenite gem !

[@tennpikr74]

Thank you.

[@coldshot5555]

Groovy cut...I like it!

[@tennpikr74]

Thanks kim. I actually did this one back around the first of the year but just now got around to posting it.

[@bethzaidagarcia81]

What a beauty 😍great content loved it!

[@tennpikr74]

thanks very much.

[@CarlDi3trich]

Looks like a glass marble?

[@richallenOU812]

i'm glad you said ' i add cerium about every two minutes ' . i do about the same. i first thought i was using to much.. now i know i'am on track !!

[@tennpikr74]

Also i found that when i started to see a scratch showing up, i swiped the cerium stick and the scratch polished right out quickly.

[@richallenOU812]

@@tennpikr74 thanks for that..

[@tamwolf20]

Beautiful cut Brent. I do have a question about the bubbles in the material. Did you have any issues with the bubbles breaking through on a facet and creating a dibit in the facet face?
Another wonderful video. Thank you Brent.

[@tennpikr74]

Hi, i didnt have that in this piece but have had it happen on others.

[@jeffreymontgomery4091]

Very cool. Reminds me of the time I was stationed out in HI and I attended a small gemshow out there. One of the cutters had a very nice emerald cut out of some volcanic glass/silica which formed when Mt. St. Helen's blew her top! I had been previously stationed up in Bremerton WA on a carrier. And ironically it was on the 2007 war cruise to support ground troops and coalition members, that we pulled into Dubai for Port call that I discovered gemstones! Here I am some 15 years later and wondering why I haven't gotten into faceting? Well as they say, no time like the present to start! Every journey no matter how long or far starts with the first step.....

[@tennpikr74]

wow, thanks for your service, good luck in learning, get a good american made machine, i know their pricey but search for them, an old prismatic works well and can be had for 1200$ or so.

[@jeffreymontgomery4091]

@@tennpikr74 Sure thing, it was truly an honor to serve! Thank you much! I have often heard the phrase "you pay for what you get". Or "buy once and you never have to buy again". I think I should consider this purchase as an investment as such. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@jeffreymontgomery4091]

Cool transfer jig, I like the fact it was made in USA!

[@tennpikr74]

yes, a nice piece of craftsmnaship.

[@travismiller5548]

Been wanting an ultratec for 7 years... long before they became all all rage in the glassblowing industry.. every time I get the money almost there... life happens. I get much vicarious enjoyment from watching you work. You seem to treat your machine right- it irritates me to no end to watch other glassblowers abusing machines that I can't afford. They let swarf dribble down into the quill, and get filth accumulate all over the mast, etc. 😂

[@tennpikr74]

Hey thanks, these machines are so expensive , i do try to keep it clean as i can. This one is around 30 years old and works great.

[@jorgericardosucno2754]

@@tennpikr74 parece que comprastes ayer ESA máquina ultra tec

[@Algoldprospecting]

Very nice. I have found some gemstones all different colors including greenish yellow. Not sure what they are. Would you like to cut some. I will give them to you.

[@tennpikr74]

sure, email me at [e-mail]

[@MikeG-js1jt]

the rough looks like glass....are you sure it was helenite?

[@tennpikr74]

It couldve been i can only go by what i was told. both materials cut and polish the same.