After learning what it was that I was looking for, that was just the first part.  You could find 10 rubies and only one may be worth cutting into a faceted gemstone.  After a full day of digging and finding “rocks”, these rocks have to be cleaned.  Depending on where they are found depends on how hard the cleaning process is.  As some of us know, North Carolina clay is not fun to clean.

So after these rocks are cleaned, then we have to figure out and study them to find the best ones.  Once this is done, these are taken to a local lapidary and cut.  Side note: One day I aspire to be that amazing!  A true gift! After they become gemstones, then the jewelry magic happens.  Each stone has its very own natural characteristics. Some may have inclusions or natural fissures. Each stone is one of a kind and can not be duplicated.  One of the many reasons why being a rock hound is so amazing is perfectly imperfect imperfections.