First, so sorry for the delay in response and thank you all for your advice that I highly appreciate.
I have been reading since this post but was not able to respond due to my lack of technological achievements with web browsers and cookies, but none the less I want to report to what I have learned since.
You all are right and I find the competition to be that higher grade of achievement.
I will be looking at spinel through the facetshoppe and get some extra rough. Some of the man made stuff looks like fun and the girls will love it, they like sparkle ya know!
I have been cutting my gemstones to size these days that will fit a piece of jewelry I get from Rio Grand, of coarse I go for size always for the largest yield but at the same time deal with inclusions on the real stuff.
I made novice this year and am happy and am looking forward to pre-master. I have been practicing a bit and feel confident for this next competition. As I saw with Dan Lynch success does not come easy going for master, and he is good. I got a lesson this year with Roger Deyer at our Mid-West Faceters Annual seminar, what a treat that was.
Size to fit or size for a special setting, no matter what, size does matter, cut matters, clarity matters and one of a kind matters.
This is a topaz rough that Marsh from Lightning Laps sent me, 9mm pear set for my daughter Izzy for her birthday.