Internet Mining and the Lapidary Artist

Sometimes it's difficult to decide what you are really drawn to in the world of Rocks and Gemstones.
For instance, we were digging (mining) in a creek bed in West Texas this month and I got to thinking. 'This sure is a lot of work scratching and digging (mining) in the heat for a few Agates. Not to mention the cost per pound when all trip expenses are added up'. Most of our Rock Hunting trips have resulted in such a large per pound cost, we could have just bought a truck load of internet rough and had money left over for several nice dinners! Thinking back to the days when I was a member of a Rock and Mineral Club in the Oklahoma City area, I remember a saying the old timers would use. "Ain't Rockhounding when you use the Golden Pick !". (Golden Pick being buying Rocks from a Rock Shop.)

That line of thought got me to thinking. Why isn't it perfectally acceptable to MINE for your materials using the Internet in this day and time? Most of the choice hunting grounds have been placed off limites in one way or another to the die hard Rockhound, so why not Internet MINE in the comfort of your easy chair , in an air conditioned atmosphere.

Keeping that thought in mind, I did some numbers crunching and was surprised to find that 'Internet Mining' really made dollars and sense in todays economy. We are not into collecting and displaying Rocks and Minerals. For the Lapidarist, you can produce less expensive Gems by purchasing your slabs/rough through the internet. Adding the expense of purchasing all the required equipment to work rough rock from its' rough stage to a finished Cabochon/Faceted gemstone, Internet Mining only makes sense financially. Although Slabs and Rough may seem expensive on the internet, when you analyize the cost of hunting your own rough, sawing it into slabs and  the waste factors involved in hunting/field mining rough to finished Gemstones, you'll realize the 'Golden Pick' approach is the only way to go.


Now, I'm not saying that I'll never pick up another piece of rough off of the ground, but I will say, my days of rockhounding field trips are over. I think it's about time to just sit in the shade and sip a cool drink. I'll do my Lapidary work in the comfort of the air conditioned Studio in the future.


Anyone else have comments or thoughts on this subject?