by Marla Bugge
I was first introduced to mining in 1996 with Tom Bugge. We opened my first quartz crystal pocket in Arizona after tunneling for 12’ into the mountain following a quartz seam.
In the summer of 2000 Tom and I went to New York to mine Herkimer diamonds. They are only ½ a degree harder than quartz crystals but get their name from their appearance. They come out of the ground looking as if they were already faceted.
I hold the stone in water while it is being drilled and carved with various diamond impregnated tools.
saw down to size
Flat lap, Makes the stone perfectly flat so they can be laminated
a finish laminated piece, in 3 piece above
carving a beach rock face