Impeesa
Explorer
So I've always liked the idea of gemstone dice. I decided that I'd try and get my girlfriend a nice set of amethyst dice for Christmas - bit of a long story as to why they'd be particularly appropriate (and kind of funny), but I know she'd love them. However, I wanted something a little bigger/darker (higher grade) than the Dwarven Stones ones, so I go around to local jewellers. And the fun starts.
First few I talk to don't do any stonecutting on-site. Finally, one gives me the name of someone who does stonecutting out of his home. Number's unlisted, though, so I'll have to track him down at work (security at the hospital). Shya. Google coughs up his email address easily enough. After looking at a picture, he proclaims that he'd have to use a faceting machine, making it highly labor-intensive and prohibitively expensive. His best suggestion is cheap overseas labour, and I think he was being totally serious. Without trying to be rude, I enquire as to why he would say this, and also why using a machine would be more labor-intensive than doing it all by hand. His reply is to explain what a faceting machine is and why he'd have to use it to get the unusual angles on a set of gaming dice. Thanks, I figured that out from the name and asked some questions there somewhere. Eventually, I give up on him.
So then I email Crystal Caste about getting a custom set done. The guy there is much more helpful and friendly, but his response basically comes down to "getting bigger pieces and/or higher quality (darker) amethyst would be expensive, and we wanted to keep it affordable for the average gamer." Wow, that's about as helpful as the last guy there... don't tell me it's too expensive, give me a ballpark figure and I'll make that decision. I don't represent the average gamer at the moment, I'm looking for a special present for a special person - if a regular set represented the limit of my budget, I certainly wouldn't be enquiring about a custom job, now would I?
Anyways, I still haven't figured out a way to say something like that directly to them without coming across as really rude (and if he's reading this - sorry!
), so I'll likely just be ordering a regular set and praying that after all this they'll still be here in time for Christmas. But still. Arg.
So, with Christmas season rapidly approaching, has anyone else been going through something like this? Or am I just lucky?
First few I talk to don't do any stonecutting on-site. Finally, one gives me the name of someone who does stonecutting out of his home. Number's unlisted, though, so I'll have to track him down at work (security at the hospital). Shya. Google coughs up his email address easily enough. After looking at a picture, he proclaims that he'd have to use a faceting machine, making it highly labor-intensive and prohibitively expensive. His best suggestion is cheap overseas labour, and I think he was being totally serious. Without trying to be rude, I enquire as to why he would say this, and also why using a machine would be more labor-intensive than doing it all by hand. His reply is to explain what a faceting machine is and why he'd have to use it to get the unusual angles on a set of gaming dice. Thanks, I figured that out from the name and asked some questions there somewhere. Eventually, I give up on him.
So then I email Crystal Caste about getting a custom set done. The guy there is much more helpful and friendly, but his response basically comes down to "getting bigger pieces and/or higher quality (darker) amethyst would be expensive, and we wanted to keep it affordable for the average gamer." Wow, that's about as helpful as the last guy there... don't tell me it's too expensive, give me a ballpark figure and I'll make that decision. I don't represent the average gamer at the moment, I'm looking for a special present for a special person - if a regular set represented the limit of my budget, I certainly wouldn't be enquiring about a custom job, now would I?
Anyways, I still haven't figured out a way to say something like that directly to them without coming across as really rude (and if he's reading this - sorry!
), so I'll likely just be ordering a regular set and praying that after all this they'll still be here in time for Christmas. But still. Arg. So, with Christmas season rapidly approaching, has anyone else been going through something like this? Or am I just lucky?
