I don't know if we have any members from Mainland China or Hong Kong, or anyone who is familiar with the art of Feng Shui. If we do, than it will be great to speak on the subject! Anyway I recently learned that according to the philosophy of Feng Shui - Freshly picked seeds are one of the most luckiest things one can have in their home (as they symbolize speedy growth). Which is why, many Chinese families in older days would put seeds with their valuable Gemstones, (to make their wealth grow). Some would even go to the extreme of actually burying Gemstones in their seedbeds for a while (so that their wealth can take up the influence of fast growing seedlings)! OK, so this idea really got me thinking. I also remembered that in my childhood, I too would put some fake gemstones in the ant farm I and my cousin had build together. I would put them in or very near the Queen Ant's chamber - Partly because it would provide an aura of mystique (but mostly because I was an Indiana Jones fan as a kid)! Anyway, this is how I got the idea of why not place a a few giant Diamonds in my garden (as I used to do with the ant farm)! I can easy construct them from clear resin or some type of acrylic (after making molds for them of course). Such optically clear materials are not at all hard to today! But as with everything that I do, I first try and make it in virtual reality. That way, I don't end up wasting any material when the time comes to build it in reality. Alright! So here is what I've been able to design up till now. I picked the Heart and Arrows Diamond cut (as it is the most brilliant). I also set the refractive index of the material to 2.417, which is that of a real Diamond. But up till now, I am unable to achieve the Hearts and Arrows effect. Sure, the Gemstones which I have been able to make up till now all looks great. But I would have been a lot happier if I was able to make the H&A Diamonds (as that would have been a pinnacle achievement of both art and style). I think I am getting the angles of the cut wrong. So if anyone over here knows the exact angles on which a real diamond is cut to produce a Hearts and Arrows effect - Than I would appreciate it greatly! I have searched the whole Internet - But nowhere are they giving the correct dimensions. I really tried them all, and they all seem to be off by a bit... Somehow, I get the feeling that there is some big trade secret as to how one should cut a Diamond to bring out the Hearts and Arrows effect... I do know that the software which I use is very powerful (AutoCAD 3D Pro). So if it works out correctly in that, it will also work in reality. Otherwise, I'll just end up wasting material. Anyaway, below is what I have been able to make up till now. It sure looks great in virtual reality. But the Hearts and Arrows effect is not there... Diamond on display ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Clear Diamond ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Red Ruby ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Blue Sapphire ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Green Emerald ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Yellow Garnet ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Purple Spinel ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Pink Corundum ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And see below how I made all these. Step 1 - Starting screen ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 2 - Shaping a ball by cutting at an angle ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 3 - Cutting the 8 lower pavilion facets ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 4 - Now cutting the 16 lower girdle facets ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 5 - Lower pavilion is done ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 6 - Now cutting the 16 upper girdle facets ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 7 - Cutting the 8 upper kite facets ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 8 - Cutting the 8 upper star facets ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 9 - Finally shaped achieved after cutting the top table ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Step 10 - Visual rendering ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
Wow that is so neat. Way above my thinking. But it is neat to see. Their beautiful. On the funnier side and not to be rude. My hubby always kids me about putting things in the correct position for Feng Shui. We had made some new raised veggie beds this summer. While I was working on them he would say, don't forget to Feng Shui them. I said very funny. Hope you find that answer for the diamond cuts you where looking for.
Remarkable process. Sure hope you get it figured out... I can't wait to see the finished product set up in your gardens.
A lot of effort for an interesting item S-H. I would imagine you have indeed run up against a profession that protects the way its final product is produced. Several sites seem to invite questions but do they provide all the correct information? Jerry
Tooty2shoes, I really found it very funny how your husband is always kidding you around with Feng Shui. I think you should surprise him by buying a few Diamond shaped paperweights - I just found these 2 sites from Google. Of course, on AliBaba dot COM you can get them even cheaper (far below wholesale rates). But they usually deal in bulk quantities. http://www.weddingfavorites.com/p-DMDPPR.html http://www.phoenixorion.com/phoenixorion/artglass0.htm Cherylad, thanks for sharing my interest in this - Yes, I too sometimes can't wait to make them in reality. I already am imagining where to place them, and to reflect light off them (if I am able to produce them correctly that is). I was thinking of placing them in a cave like rockery structure, behind an artificial waterfall. And a ray of sunlight be hitting it through a small hidden hole, and so will produce many rainbows in all directions - Was thinking of calling it the "King Solomon's Mines" effect... http://youtu.be/emhquEnPew4 Jerry, you are absolutely 100% correct in assuming that I have indeed run into the realm where trade secrets and manufacturing processes are guarded very jealously. I however am doing it just for fun, but the exact same cuts and angles - Will also result in a perfectly formed Harts and Arrows gemstone. So even though I am currently very annoyed, as I am unable to find the right answer - I can also fully understand why they would feel a need to protect their trade secrets. For example, the best information on how to cut a Hearts and Arrows Diamond, can be found on the 2 pages below - But when I cut the gemstone in virtual space (using the exact same angles for all the facets), the H&A effect eluded me. I also found out that some of the angles were geometrically misleading (almost impossible to apply in reality). So I had no choice but to substitute them and use a little guesswork - The result is still very good looking, but the H&A effect is not there... http://heartsandarrows.com/hearts-arrow ... ation.aspx http://heartsandarrows.com/hearts-arrow ... t-dna.aspx Frank, I was actually thinking of making molds from polished Aluminium sheets (easily available from hardware stores). And than full them with a molten of optical quality acrylic. Usually, Plexiglass can easily be melted with a electric heat gun and poured into any mold. Just don't apply too much heat in order to speed up the process, or the Plexiglass acrylic will turn brown (and so will end up looking very ugly). NOTE: I have seen some people over here use different colored Plexiglass to re-create side indicators and rear lights of classic cars (by molding it into any shape). They have to re-do everything from scratch, as original spare parts of classic cars are very difficult to find today. Anyway, they NEVER use any open flame. Only electric heating elements. Plus they always do it in open air, as the fumes given off molten acrylic are very noxious. So please use extreme caution when attempting this on your own... Or I can use clear epoxy resin as a filling and just wait for it to harden - But this is somewhat undesirable as clear epoxy isn't all that clear (besides it sometimes has a dirty yellow tint to it). If anyone over here has a better idea, I sure would like to hear it - As brainstorming is one of my favorite pastimes! One wild idea that I got was of making diamond shaped ice trays. So just imagine Diamonds (with the Hearts and Arrows effect) floating in your beverage!!! Another idea that I got just a few minutes ago, is to make it all out of gluing sheets of glass together, and than fulling it with water. Kind of like the water prisms featured on this site below. http://www.waterprisms.com/ I also can try making them out of real glass. Not by molding, but by grinding and polishing. It will take a long time to get it done. But it will give the best results. Like in this video below. Only problem is, I would be able to make it no bigger than 4 or maybe 6 inches in diameter. http://youtu.be/qjxeBsXzvtc But of course, to do any of this, I first need to get the angles of the cuts correct. Otherwise, without the Hearts and Arrows effect - It will all amount to nothing but just some wasted time, effort, and material... :-|
I loved the ant farm story...I used to make ant farms too when I was younger...they still fascinate me.
OK, was finally able to figure out exactly what they do! But I feel totally drained right now, so will explain later. But the real issue was not them (the gem cutters) jealously guarding their secrets. It was simply mistaken/misunderstood terminology. You see, I was (as I am a CAD user) going about it from the engineering point of view (from the eye of a professional designer). While all the information written by gem cutters, was from the point of view of an artist. I actually had to join an online gemology forum to figure it all out... Kind of like overlapping of words. Common words, which would mean one thing in my profession - Yet totally another in theirs... That basically is why I couldn't figure it out at first. Anyway, I now have it ready in virtual space. It is shining very brightly. So I know for sure that I have all the angles set just right. That's the thing about Diamonds actually. If cut even slightly improperly, they will end up looking very dull. But when cut in exactly the right way - They really start to blaze, as if on fire! And since they are actually hydrocarbon crystals, everything about their theoretical behavior can be replicated inside a computer (with a powerful CAD program that is)! So that's how I know I've got it right this time! Now If anyone wishes to know exactly how to cut a true Hearts & Arrows Diamond, then I will gladly share the technique with everyone over here. But right now (since it will take too long to explain) - I feel like resting for a while... I will of course show everything in a video which I'll now be composing about this whole concept! Properly Cut Hearts and Arrows Diamond. ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Hearts and Arrows Diamond Design ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
Another problem you may or may not be concerned about is the refractive index. In diamonds it is very high, so they sparkle (duh) but in other materials like glass or acrylic you won't get all that "pop".
S-H---Very interesting. I appreciate people who get fascinated by an idea and pursue it. Good luck with your efforts. Please keep us posted. In an unrelated theme, I checked out one of the websites you posted: http://www.weddingfavorites.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc? The one selling glass diamonds to the public. I plan on buying one of the paperweights & putting in my garden on some kind of pedestal. Thanks for the idea. My daughter is also graduating from college in a month. I purchased one of the smaller "diamonds" as a gag gift for her. I think she will get a kick out of it.
Very true! Which is why some jewelers over here use an oily liquid (the reflective index of which is the same as a real diamond). The idea is the fully immerse the gemstone in it - So if it is a real diamond, than it should totally vanish from view when submerged. And if it still can be seen, then it clearly is not a diamond. In bigger diamonds, this technique is also used to have a very good look at the inner flaws of some diamonds. So if I use that oily liquid as the filling (by making a diamond shape out of glued together cut sheets of glass). Than perhaps I may be able to pull it off. But there are 2 problems here. First is that the color of that oily liquid is yellowish (and so not very pleasing to the eye). And secondly, no one is telling me the formula of that oily liquid... Thanks. And of course, I will keep everyone posted over here with my progress - Only problem is that starting out with a project of this type in reality (not in CAD), requires some dedication and lot of free time. Now when it comes to motivation and dedication, I sure have got plenty of that, but free time on my hands - Is a commodity I am now very deficient in these days... In the meantime however, if there is anyone over here who also would like to try making this for themselves - Than I am available for any type of technical assistance. By the way, instead of buying it from these people - It would be better to get them in bulk, (and so a lot cheaper), straight from the source. A simple search from Google guided me to this page on AliBaba-DOT-com. Where they are selling them (in many different sizes and colors) at the fraction of the cost! http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/diamond ... eight.html
S-H--I can relate to the time issue. I have a fascination with mailboxes and what folks in the north do to safeguard them from the hazards of snowplows during the winter. I have losts of photos of various solutions to the problem: suspending the mailbox by chains from a tree so it just swings if hit by the plow, constructing a protective cage of pipes around it, etc. Some of the solutions are pretty creative, some are comical. I hope one day to make a poster of the 101 soultions I have seen....but it all takes time I do not have right now! So, yes, I can relate. I did check out that other website, but it looked like I would have to buy 100 or 500 of them for mucho bucks! Then what would I do with them all?!? But, truly thanks for the idea & I hope you have fun with your project.
Yes that is indeed a very good idea, well worth trying for sure - Personally I wouldn't be surprised if that oily liquid turned out to be over 90% Glycerin. But I am sure there are a few more secret additives which make up that oily liquid (which some top class jewelers over here use). Still, Glycerin on it's own will definitely give better results than water. I can buy it in kilogram quantities (as industrial grade clear Glycerin B), used in making soap! So this idea hes really got potential! Thanks for sharing it with everyone! Yes, unfortunately if we buy it straight from the manufacturers (at rock bottom price) - We have to buy it in bulk. So unless we've got almost a 100+ other buyers lined up to purchase it from us - We better not approach the producer directly. But than again, wouldn't it be great to have a garden with a few 100 gemstones (of many different colors) scattered all over it??? I seriously doubt if anyone would be able to compete with you then!
