Shop Friend of the month winner for January 2010 was an entry by Ralph Sieler with his beautiful cacoxenite in amethyst cabochon.  Congratulations Ralph and thanks very much for sending in an entry.  Your cabochon is truly a one of a kind!  Ralph wrote the following: "I'm Ralph Sieler and I just started cutting and cabbing rock about 3 years ago.  Since then I have learned how to cut and polish rock to make cabochons.  I have a lot of fun making a nothing looking rock into something so beautiful.  My latest cabochon is this new but yet old find called Cacoxenite in Amethyst.  This is a beautiful material from Brazil.  The cacoxenite is a needle like golden fiber inside the amethyst.  This is a great material that was mined in the early 1960's and now has returned back on the market."  Ralph and Mary Ann Sieler have a web site at http://www.stonesthatrock.net