Faceting Workshop Held on March 24

We had a full house again for the faceting workshop on March 24. We had a handful of people join us who had visited our demonstration table at the TotE show. Some were first time faceters and some were returning to faceting after a long layoff. George and Andy provided two handouts, one on how to read faceting diagrams, the other a meetpoint emerald cut design.

Faceting workshop on March 24, 2024
Members and guests at work

Upcoming Faceting Workshop – April 14

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE.  APRIL 14TH
NMFG MEMBERS,

The next NMFG faceting workshop will be Sunday, April 14, at the Placitas

Community Library, 453 Hwy 165, Placitas 87043, from 8:30 set up to 9 AM to 3 PM, workshop.  We’ll follow the usual format of spending most of the time at your machines.  Instructors will be available to assist anyone needing help.  The cost is $15.00 per person to cover the cost of materials, lunch, and part of the cost for the use of the library. Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, April 10th so we can do the necessary planning and know how many tables to set up.

 

Very important:  If you do not have a machine and want to come to the workshop you must let me know ASAP because there are only two available faceting machines, but instructors are limited.

Parking is in the gravel lot to the West side of the building.  You will enter the meeting room from the parking lot. You will be able to dump the wastewater in the dirt past the North end of the parking lot. There is a kitchen type setup where you will be able to get water.

Directions to the Placitas Community Library:  Go North on I-25 to exit 242.  Exit and go East 4.3 miles and you will see a Green and White sign pointing to the library.

If you have Question call me         505-867-0112

George Franzen

Upcoming NMFG Faceting Workshop – March 24

The next NMFG faceting workshop will be Sunday, March 24th at the Placitas Community Library, 453 Hwy 165, Placitas 87043, from 8:30 set up to 9 AM to 3 PM, workshop.  We’ll follow the usual format of spending most of the time at your machines.  Instructors will be available to assist anyone needing help.  The cost is $15.00 per person to cover the cost of materials, lunch, and part of the cost for the use of the library. Please RSVP no later than Monday, March  18th so we can do the necessary planning and know how many tables to set up.

Very important:  If you do not have a machine and want to come to the workshop you must let me know ASAP because there are only a few available faceting machines, and we may be short of instructors.

Parking is in the gravel lot to the West side of the building.  You will enter the meeting room from the parking lot. You will be able to dump the wastewater in the dirt past the North end of the parking lot. There is a kitchen-type setup where you will be able to get water.

Directions to the Placitas Community Library:  Go North on I-25 to exit 242.  Exit and go East 4.3 miles and you will see a Green and White sign pointing to the library.

TotE Show

The Treasures of the Earth Gem, Mineral, Jewelry Expo (TotE Show) sponsored by the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club (AGMC) will be held March 15-17 at the Creative Arts Center Expo New Mexico.

The Faceters Guild will have a booth at the show demonstrating faceting.

Please feel free to stop by our booth and ask questions. Click here to go to AGMC’s site for more information about the TotE Show.

February Workshop

The February Workshop was well attended.  We had 12 members and guests busy working on their gems. One of our newest faceters completed her first gem during this workshop! See photos below of the Lee Faceting Machine that one of the members brought to the workshop. Our next workshop will be on March 24.

One of the members brought her Lee Faceting Machine.
Another view of the Lee Faceting Machine.

Upcoming NMFG Faceting Workshop – Feb 25

NMFG Members,
The next NMFG faceting workshop will be Sunday, February 25 at the Placitas Community Library, 453 Hwy 165, Placitas 87043, from 8:30 set up to 9 AM to 3 PM, workshop.  We’ll follow the usual format of spending most of the time at your machines.  Instructors will be available to assist anyone needing help.  The cost is $15.00 per person to cover the cost of materials, lunch, and part of the cost for the use of the library. Please RSVP no later than Monday, February 21st so we can do the necessary planning and know how many tables to set up.

Very important:  If you do not have a machine and want to come to the workshop you must let me know ASAP because there are only three available faceting machines, but instructors are limited.

Parking is in the gravel lot to the West side of the building.  You will enter the meeting room from the parking lot. You will be able to dump the wastewater in the dirt past the North end of the parking lot. There is a kitchen type setup where you will be able to get water.

Directions to the Placitas Community Library:  Go North on I-25 to exit 242.  Exit and go East 4.3 miles and you will see a Green and White sign pointing to the library.

January Workshop

Our January workshop was well attended.  We had 14 people all busy creating beautiful gems. Two of the attendees were brand new to faceting and were helped by more experienced members and there was plenty of collaboration among the members working on more complicated designs. Join us for the next workshop on February 25.

Consultation and work in progress
More work and consultation
A new member showed up with this Graves Mark 1 machine, probably built in the 1960’s

Tribute to Ernie Hawes

Ernie Hawes was originally from Indiana but lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 1971. He was a founding member of the New Mexico Faceters Guild. Ernie’s working career was spent mostly in education at both the high school and university levels. He retired in 2000 after twenty-two years spent as a high school administrator in the Albuquerque Public Schools.

Ernie’s interest in minerals began as a child picking up calcite and pyrite in a crushed limestone parking lot near his home in Indiana. His lapidary interests started while living in Las. Vegas, Nevada in the sixties. Faceting eventually became an interest and starting with an old used machine in 1974, Ernie self-taught himself the basics of faceting.

Ernie was a Facetron representative for many years and also purchased his first Ultra Tec in 1975. Ernie began teaching faceting in 1981 at the time of the founding of the New Mexico Faceters Guild. He served several terms as president, vice president, and newsletter editor. We all have had great interactions with Ernie. He was always willing to render assistance on faceting problems.

Ernie developed an interest in designing gems in about 1990 and used GemCad® to share designs with other Faceters. Ernie had numerous designs published in various guild newsletters and in Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. Several years ago, Ernie published a design book of some of his faceting designs, Revealing the Light Within, Faceting Designs by Ernie Hawes, with all profits going to the instruction programs of the New Mexico Faceters Guild and the United States Faceters Guild.

To promote faceting, Ernie gave many demonstrations at gem and mineral shows, at museums, and at the Tucson gem shows. Over the years, Ernie gave a number of presentations at our guild meetings and for other gem and mineral organizations. He regularly taught faceting workshops for the New Mexico Faceters Guild. In addition to membership in his home guild, Ernie was a member of the Texas Faceters Guild, the United Kingdom Facet Cutters Guild, and the United States Faceters Guild. Ernie passed away on March 10, 2023. The world has lost a valuable asset.