Sick at my stomach

I bought a couple of things at Amazon.com a few mins. ago. I checked on them to sell from once it was a little high for me so didn't, but buy I things there every now and again, I do like the one button click to buy feature. So I ran a search on cabochons before I clicked away, lots of books and a couple of sellers, as I was looking I saw a dog tooth agate it caught my eye as I had packed some up yesterday. Now there are few agates in this world that are as recognizable at first glance as dog tooth once you know what it is, this one was listed as Rhodochrosite! Curious I clicked on the shop they are selling machine made, dyed cabs for prices I can't even get the rock for.

Don't get me wrong, I use a grinder/polisher on my cabs but a lot of thought and effort goes into each one from design to actually getting it done and shiney. These other machines are fed a rock and it is cut at random not by (ha I typed "my" the first time, on purpose?) human hand but a unthinking stamp machine. I have a real issue with that kind of thing, yeah I know everyone has to make a living but give everyone a chance.

As a example a trusted friend told me he had gone to the 2007 Tucson show, he couldn't find the booth that he regularly buys from a outfit that digs in Mexico, but did see one of the brothers walking around so asked where his booth was that year. He was told they didn't have anything to sell that they had been bought out by a large asisan country (I say it that way because I don't want to be on China's bad side, Ha) by the ton sight unseen. So all that rocks were dumped in machines that just ground out shapes and the beautiful patterns were lost.

Ok I'm done, time to figure out something for supper, er dinner sorry honey. :)

Spike