A Good Horse Needs a Good Saddle

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Here is the full English translation of the article with explicit [Image] markers indicating all original image positions and captions:

FooYoung Mineral Gem Museum

A Good Horse Needs a Good Saddle

If we compare minerals to beautiful women,

Then what they absolutely cannot lack

Is a pair of beautiful crystal shoes.

They must be both comfortable and elegant,

And also accentuate her temperament,

Only then can she release her charm,

Radiate brilliance,

And bloom.

=Blossom=

Collectors will travel thousands of miles, crossing mountains and rivers, to welcome a beloved stone home. Finding a "foothold" for these treasures at home isn’t easy. Each stone needs its own exclusive "throne," aimed at showcasing its most beautiful aspect, achieving "one stone, one unique display."

The craft of creating bases for ornamental stones has a long history in China. The creation of a traditional ornamental stone base requires concentrated ingenuity. The artisan must possess a certain level of artistic appreciation to achieve a high level of creation. The higher the stone’s quality, the harder it is to find a suitable base. Materials typically use premium woods, such as rosewood, pear wood, camphor wood, or rhododendron wood, with sandalwood being the most noble. Patterns also vary according to the stone’s characteristics, including landscape bases, cloud pattern bases, and plum blossom bases.

These uniquely shaped stones paired with traditional Chinese wooden bases complement each other perfectly. Don’t they feel like they were made for each other? Many foreign friends also adore these exquisitely crafted bases. So, the question arises: who’s the best at transporting bases? How do you get such a large base home?

Mystery

=Mystery=

Exchanges among mineral enthusiasts worldwide are becoming increasingly frequent, and the collection of mineral crystal specimens has gained favor in the domestic market. These minerals are often presented in crystalline structures, dazzling with varied colors and crystal clarity. They are precious treasures bestowed upon humanity by nature.

The crystalline and dynamic style of mineral specimens clearly differs greatly from the style of traditional Chinese ornamental stone bases. After continuous experimentation by global mineral enthusiasts, a new type of acrylic base suitable for displaying mineral specimens was born.

Grace

=Grace=

Transparent acrylic material boasts light transmittance comparable to glass, yet its density is only half that of glass. Additionally, it is not as fragile as glass and offers good stability and resistance to corrosion by many chemicals. These qualities make it the perfect choice for mineral specimen bases.

To provide "crystal shoes" custom-made for each mineral, the FooYong Mineral Gem Museum specially invited Mr. Zhang Qiaolan from Changsha—the founder of currently the only professional mineral specimen base manufacturing company in China. He has unique insights into the display of each mineral and employs cutting-edge 3D printing technology in their creation. The process is complex, but the craftsmanship is exceptionally refined.

Hey, do you know how many steps even a single base must go through?

[Image: Mineral base production process diagram]

Caption: The basic production process:

1.
3D Mold
2.
Generate 3D Computer Model
3.
Prototype
4.
Convert 3D Engraving File
5.
Engraving
6.
Chamfering/Beveling
7.
Polishing

This is just the basic process~ My head is already spinning!