I am self-taught but slowly am starting learn how to inspect faceted
stones with a loop. Heretofore, most of the faceted stones I have
bought look okay to my naked eye but I am finding that some of my
problems with setting are because the stones are not cut right. I am
finding some glaring irregularities in the shapes of the stones and
am learning to cut the seats of bezels to accommodate, but it is a
pain!.
Can anyone recommend a source for quality faceted stones that are
reasonably priced? I use a lot of round, calibrated, semi-precious
(iolite, topaz, garnet, citrine, aquamarine, etc., stones for accents
in my enameled pieces.
Sure can make a suggestion. Check Barb Smigel’s site
Barb is a certified gemologist and a cutter herself. She’s based in
Las Vegas, and has been doing custom cut gems on the internet for (I
believe) twelve whole years now, which not only makes her a real
pioneer, but also testifies to her continuing commercial uprightness
and reliability. She uses known cutters from across the US; all
stones are coded with the name of the cutter, their degree of
wearability, and their various enhancements or lack thereof.
Usual disclaimer: not only do I have no commercial connection, it’s
worse than that: I facet-cut myself, so that makes Barb something of
a downright competitor. But inasmuch as I am still struggling to
properly photograph my stones I’m not quite ready to come out of the
closet with a web presence just yet. So check Barb’s site. To me, it
is in the nature of a benchmark.
Most stones are not ‘cut right’. If you want well cut stones,
sometimes called ‘diamond cut’, it’s just a term and has nothing to
do with diamonds,; you’ll have to pay a premium.
One more comment on the source for faceted stones query and that is
that there are quite a few known and talented cutters here on the
Orchid list itself; hopefully they will post and make themselves
known either privately or here on Orchid.
We have all bought "bad stones"8-{ Our enthusiasm when we first
start out is really wild. Hey, this Brazil mix is only $1.00 a
carat!!! Well, there are the cracks, chips in the girdle, uneven
girdles, full bellies, etc. But you get what you pay for with that
kind of price. Also a stone may really grab you with it;s beauty but
don;t be blinded by that, you still need to examine it before you
buy it.
We all must learn to examine the stones before we begin to cut the
bearings, even calibrated stones have a huge range in depth and
girdle thickness while the stones are all the same diameter or
dimension in the face up position. Laying out the parcel upside down
is a good way to begin examining the group for similar stones or
just to look at them. But do examine the stones. You will be amazed
at the cutting!-) Once I was setting a diamond for a friend. The
appraiser was looking at it prior to setting. She pointed out tome
that the tip of the pear shape had a natural directly under the
point that made a leaving a tiny bit of stone above and below
at the tip. I set it with NO pressure on the tip!!!
Good luck,
Barbara in Norfolk
I create magnificent gems of exquisite beauty. I specialize in
precision cut gem with excellent symmetry, polish, and cutting. I
have learned the art from world renowned cutters and I source my own
rough direct from miners guaranteeing pedigree. Please feel free to
contact me on your future gemstone requirements.
even calibrated stones have a huge range in depth and girdle
thickness while the stones are all the same diameter or dimension
in the face up position
Barbara says what I’ve been wanting to say - I think that many
students want to get calibrated stones and calibrated settings and
just marry the two with a minimum of fuss, and there’s nothing at all
wrong with that. Somewhere along the way anybody who uses gemstones
is just going to have to learn to work around them, though, because
the above situation is pretty rare unless you’re just punching out a
line. Cutting will vary, calibration is rare - diamonds come in every
size increment there is. Saying something is well cut is not the same
as saying it’s “diamond cut” - many native cuts are well done, but
not the Tolkowski standard, which only applies to diamonds anyway in
terms of light. All high-value stones are cut for weight, not mm size
stuff like that. Nothing wrong with wanting to ease the way with
good stones, but dealing with stones as they are, not what one wishes
they might be, is part of being a jeweler.
If you are looking for quality custom faceted Gemstones you can visit
my website, bestcutgems.com. I am a Gemological Institute of America
(GIA), Graduate Gemologist of the Year, and my husband and I both
facet I have rare as well as the more common
I also offer some well cut commercial gems as well. Please
feel free to contact me.
I think that many students want to get calibrated stones and
calibrated settings and just marry the two with a minimum of fuss,
and there's nothing at all wrong with that.
What prompted my original post was a couple of iolites that I got
from a very well known supplier. When you put the stone on its table,
upside down, the culet pointed a good 15 to 20 degrees off center and
the girdle was fat on one side and thin on the other. I just hadn’t
run across a stone that required that much effort. I did get it set,
but that kind of cutting would seem an unnecessary variation from the
norm.