chatoyancy

[Thomas Bennett]

From Wikipedia, "In gemology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemology), chatoyancy (pronounced /ʃəˈtɔɪ.ənsiː/ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_English), shə-TOY-ən-see (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Pronunciation_respelling_key)), or chatoyance, is an optical (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optics) reflectance effect seen in certain gemstones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemstone). Coined from the French "œil de chat," meaning "cat's eye," chatoyancy arises either from the fibrous structure of a material, as in tiger eye (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger%27s-eye) quartz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz), or from fibrous inclusions or cavities within the stone, as in cat's eye chrysoberyl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysoberyl). "
I keep trying to remember that word! .

155357

155358
here's a couple of shots of a 7" crotch cut soft maple. It definately has the "chatoyancy"
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155360
155361

And this is a 12" hard maple bowl with some heart. Finished with poly shot from the Jag gun,(then buffed) as usual.
The usual disclaimer: please forgive the primative photography. I'm always so impressed with everyone elses photos. Specifically, Leo's recent posting really brings the hickory to life. I strive for that effect.

[Cathy Schaewe]

Those are very pretty. That shimmer is amazing, and I love the figure in the hard maple.

I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of in your photography, either!

[Baxter Smith]

Both are great looking bowls but the soft maple has has that extra. I would add "depth" or a 3D look. The blurred background is a nice change from the usual as well! Nothing like natural light!

[Fred Perreault]

Thomas,
Very nice looking items, and a helpful explanation of the "shimmer" of wood.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Really nice looking bowls. Really nice finish.

[Paul Douglass]

Beautiful bowls, my favorite being the first. It definitely has some of that chatoyanc stuff you be talk'n bout.

[bob svoboda]

Both very nice bowls! Good work.

[John Keeton]

Very nice bowls, and you have captured chatoyance about as well as it can be captured in a photograph. It is so much more intriguing to hold a piece of maple like that and move it around to watch the figure in the wood literally "dance."

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Yes nice bowls and a very good capture of the Chatoyance in the soft Maple, very well done, thanks for showing, I have been trying to get some pictures that would show this and will put them in a new post shortly, it isn't easy to get it to show.

[James Combs]

Very nice bowls, and you have captured chatoyance about as well as it can be captured in a photograph. It is so much more intriguing to hold a piece of maple like that and move it around to watch the figure in the wood literally "dance."


Yes nice bowls and a very good capture of the Chatoyance in the soft Maple, very well done, thanks for showing, I have been trying to get some pictures that would show this and will put them in a new post shortly, it isn't easy to get it to show.

Both bowls are really nice.
As John points out and Leo is trying to get around with stills, it is motion in either the object or the observer that really shows off the effect of Chatoyance. Has anyone ever tried an animated gif file to see if it shows?

[David E Keller]

Nice work on both pieces. It's hard to beat that beautiful shimmer you captured so well in the photos of the first piece. I think the natural light is a major factor in getting it to show in photos because the sun provides such a diffuse, plentiful light source... Remember that chatoyance in wood is a reflection from the undulating fibers in the wood. Diffuse bright light will give more opportunity for reflection than anything I've seen from man. Some of the photobugs on here can probably explain it better.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice work on both bowls Thomas! Really like the smaller - soft maple bowl! Thanks for sharing!

[Harvey Ghesser]

Love the hard maple bowl! Great grain!

[Frank Van Atta]

Some woods really show chatoyance - Koa being my favorite.

Here's an example: the only difference between the two photos is that the piece has been turned 90°.

http://fgvanatta.tripod.com/Koa1.jpghttp://fgvanatta.tripod.com/Koa2.jpg

I have used this effect to produce a darker/lighter band in a Koa vase by simply cutting a segment out of the middle of the blank, rotating it 90°, then gluing it back.

[Karl Card]

those first two picks are just simply amazing.