I met Jim Barzee at Desert Gardens, Quartzsite, Arizona, winter, 2005. He was a seasoned lapidary artist, and I was still learning not to burn myself while doping a stone. Poking through his piles of rough and slab bins, we began to talk. And talk. Once Jim heard I was working in video and film producing and editing, we talked even more.
He had a vision for a series of tutorials, I had the time and the gear and here we are. As our vision became one goal we edited with care, wanting to present logical ways of How-to in a calm, helpful and inspiring manner. We plan on more titles in the near future, such as Cutting the Fire Agate, Tumbling and Jade Identification – Nephrite vs Jadeite and The Imposters.
MarZee Tutorials has a deep commitment in taping seasoned Lapidary Artists and getting what they know up and out and available to the public. The ‘old timers,’ to me, are national treasures and what they know should be passed on to those of us either still trying not to get burned, or those that have been at it awhile. Their experience is the most precious resource.