“Rock Hounds” Appear In Britain

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30340, 16 January 1964, Page 2

“Rock Hounds” Appear In Britain

(By 2 AU A THOMAS] LONDON. During the last five years in America there has been a great fashion for “rock hounds,” a “rock hound" being a non-professional person who takes an interest in uncut gems. He finds or buys some crysstal specimens, usually buys a home outfit for cutting and polishing the rough stones, and learns from a book of instructions the finer arts of turning a rough crystal into a cut stone. The first results lack some of the beauty of the expert cutter, but the “rock hound” does eventually learn some degree of competence. Britain is now taking up this fashion and an organisation to deal with the increasing demand for uncut gems is being set up, which will bring large shipments of material from all over the world. What do people do with the piece of rough stone they find after they have cut it and polished it into a gem? Often they have it set and then either wear it or give it to a relation or friend. Large pieces of the stones are often made by the “rock hounds” into brooches, smaller pieces into rings, while frequently big pieces are cut off at the base, polished and put on tables as ornaments. Some are even used as very expensive indoor gardens. Different types of quartz are especially suitable for this purpose, but the crystal specimens must be bought.

These cost from about £2 to £2O. Cacti, moss or creepers are added to make the garden. Another fashion from America which is suitable for natural crystals is to use them uncut. They are mounted in this raw state for use ,as brooches. Apparently this is high fashion in the gambling town of Las Vegas, and the idea is catching on in Britain, especially with students from art and technical colleges, many of whom spend a lot of time choosing specimens from the retailer whose wide range of stones varies in price from 6d to hundreds of pounds. Larger groups of crystals are in great demand with West End shops for window display. Many of the stones go to very expensive homes where top interior decorators have arranged large pieces, often on plinths, with magnificent effect, often helped by clever lighting.