So you want to become a jade carver?

I want to address those of you who have thought wistfully about becoming jade carvers as well as the greater number who have not yet considered the possibility.
 
Maybe you are drawn to the beauty of crystalline rocks and crystals?  Are you good with your hands and/or have an artistic bent?  Maybe you come from a family or region that has a carving or jade tradition?  If you have ever wondered how to get started, read on:

1. Talk with a carver.  If you can’t find one near you, visit a mineral/rock club, your local natural history museum, ask me or check the internet.
2. Ultimately, to shape a piece of jade you need a stone that is harder than the jade and a bucket of water.  Quartz (sandstone) will produce the desired effect over time but corundum or diamond will produce a result more quickly – there is a cost/results trade-off.
3. You need to think about the type of equipment you want.  This can run from hundreds of $’s into the low tens of thousands.  And what you need to purchase depends in part on the output you want to achieve – at the slowest and cheapest end of the range, I read that Maori carvers in the pre-industrial era used to take about 6 weeks to produce one piece, sitting at the side of a stream or river using the available water and river sand.  At the most complicated and expensive end of the range today, using power tools and high-tech items, you can probably produce 30 pieces daily.
   
4. You can design and build the equipment yourself or buy it off the shelf.  Check out the prices.  Input the number of hours you intend to spend carving per day and work out the economics.
5. Where will you get your supply of jade from?  For top quality rock you can expect to pay up to $1000 per kg (but less, maybe $100 per kg for second-grade or off-cuts) – although top quality Chinese jade (jadeite?) was reported as being sold for $3000 per ounce (25 g) according to a 2010 article in Forbes Magazine.  Check with your mineral club or the internet for reputable suppliers around the world, or you might find some specimens at markets and in rock shops.
   
6. Important considerations include: a supply of water to keep the stone cool and to produce a slurry during carving; a power supply, which must be insulated, earthed and have an emergency cut-off fitted to prevent the risk of electrocution, and, finally; you need to consider how to safely dispose of your slurry/rock flour after carving as it can pose a health risk if not properly handled.
   
7. So I must emphasise the following: SAFETY FIRST is vital in all its aspects!  OK?
8. Even once you have your equipment and stone, there are still years of practice ahead of you, though you can start immediately with simple pieces – for which, please, use poor quality stone to learn how the rock behaves.  You can use the good stuff when your designs warrant it!
9. They say practice makes perfect!  Begin the journey, knowing that you will be producing pieces of work for future generations, carving will have a calming effect on you and it will become a rewarding part of your life!
   

 
Further tips will follow.  Watch this space!