Recutting an emerald

I have a question about an emerald ring that I received many years
ago. I got a very small chip on the stone while working and was
wondering if it is possible to recut a stone without too much loss.
The stone is about 2 carets. I’d like to have it reset also because
the setting offers no protection for the stone. I am very new to
silversmithing and have made and sold some pieces in our local art
gallery,but stone cutting is still a mystery to me. I would
appreciate any helpful replies.

Of course that depends on the chip. Although I am a faceter (20
years experience), a close friend of mine is one of the better
faceters in the country and lives only a few miles away, and I give
all my work to him. He has recut stones with only a loss of a few
points or less, but it really has to do with how the stone is
chipped. No one can tell you without seeing it. If you need a
reference, I’ll be glad to share it with you. Otherwise, I know good
cutters all over the country and can suggest a very good cutter where
ever you are.

Sorry about the chip, I know how you feel.

Jeffrey Everett

    I have a question about an emerald ring that I received many
years ago. I got a very small chip on the stone while working and
was wondering if it is possible to recut a stone without too much
loss. The stone is about 2 carets. I'd like to have it reset also
because the setting offers no protection for the stone. I am very
new to silversmithing and have made and sold some pieces  in our
local art gallery,but stone cutting is still a mystery to me. I
would appreciate any helpful replies. 

Don’t try this at home. No one can answer your question about lost
in the recutting process without seeing the stone “live”. You
didn’t say, for example, whether the emerald is a cab or a faceted
stone. Plus there are other considerations. If you can, find a cutter
you trust and can deal with in person.

Hi,

 I got a very small chip on the stone while working and was
wondering if it is possible to recut a stone without too much
loss. The stone is about 2 carets. 

The amount of weight loss is dependent on the location, size & depth
of the damage. To some extent it also depends on what type of
optical performance you want from the recut stone. If you just want
the damaged spot repair without concern for the overall appearance
the weight loss will be minimal. If, however you want good optical
performance from the stone the weight loss would be greater.

Without see the damaged stone it’s impossible to hazard a guess
about weight loss.

Dave

The basic answer to your question is, yes, your emerald can be
recut. Now here is the" but" even something that looks like a small
chip may have hidden damage below the surface. Emeralds generally
have inclusions that make recutting even more difficult. If you were
to take it to a stone cutter they would be able to give you a better
evaluation. Michael Michael@MichaelKnottDesigns.com

Hi D.M.S., Yes, it’s quite possible to have your stone recut; recuts
and repairs such as yours have been my stock in trade for years.
Although the amount of loss we’re likely to experience during
cutting depends upon the nature of the damage to the piece, it is
often possible to save the vast majority of the weight. Perhaps the
two most pivotal questions to ask aRe: 1) “Is the chip limited to
the crown of the stone (top half), or does it extend to the pavilion
(bottom), as well?”, and, 2) “Did the damage occur as the result of
pressure, or was it due to impact?” (Again, the nature often
determines the answer to the questions.) Also, is the stone faceted
or cabbed? (i.e. Does it have flat facets, or is it dome-shaped,
like most Opals, Agates and Turquoises are?) Although I’ll be
running back and forth for the next few weeks, you can always
contact me via the number below… if I’m away from the bench, just
leave your name and number, and I’ll get back to you ASAP. Until
then,

All my best, Douglas Turet Turet Design P.O. Box 242 Avon, MA 02322 Tel.
(617) 325-5328 eFax (928) 222-0815 anotherbrightidea@hotmail.com

D.M.S. Everything Jeffery and Kevin say is correct…especially the
part about not making a committment without seeing the stone and the
damage to it.

However, let me give you an idea of what can be done. I recently
had a gentleman present me with a 2.5ct emerald cut emerald with a
huge chip in one corner that extended part way down the pavillion and
nearly two mm into the table. It was a capital stone and really
needed to be recut. I removed it from an 18 K yellow gold ring that
also had 8 - 3mm diamonds and began the recutting. In the end, I was
able to not only remove all of the chip but also ‘clean up’ the poor
native cut in the process. The end result was a much better looking
stone that is still 2 cts!

I used to do recutting a lot but this was the first ‘recut’ I had
done for nearly 10 years. It was not only fun but also very
rewarding. My advice however, is don’t try it yourself without some
expert input. Don’t try it on a really important stone. Don’t be in
a hurry. Otherwise, enjoy yourself!

P.S. To all, Sorry I haven’t been around lately. My monitor went
bye-bye (gosh, it was only 10 years old) so I had to break down and
get a new 17" LCD monitor. Why oh why did I wait so long. This thing
is great! Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where
simple elegance IS fine jewelry! @coralnut2