#Faceting

Great to see a video from @gem_oclock #ultratec_facet #faceting #lapidary #jewelry #gemstones

The making of my contest-winning gemstone. This video shows the process from start to finish. I truly loved faceting this stone and am still so excited that it received recognition at the Faceting Hob Nob. I hope you enjoy watching come to life as much as I enjoyed making it.

The Thorn Ring in real life! This design has been in my head for a couple of years at least, and I finally cut it! It was actually really hard to get it set, I had to spend an hour hand-filing the ring before it would actually fit. #deltarune #snowflake #gemstone #crystals #faceting

I’ve learned that the price of the stone doesn’t perfectly correlate with the final product. Cutting this one was super satisfying. #lapidary #faceting #gem #amethyst #wyoming

I’m SO glad I finally took the leap and cut this gem. It turned out even prettier & more sparkly than I hoped!! 🥹💞 I don’t come across pink Montana sapphires too often, so I really wanted to do this one justice. I was scared at some point in faceting that fracture would split open and leave me with a broken gem and damaged equipment! Thankfully, that’s not the direction this one went. It behaved wonderfully, and I was able to cut the fracture all the way off. The gem still has its fair share of inclusions and smaller fractures (as I’m sure you all can see), but I completely removed the one that would cause any real structural problems. I’m just thrilled everything worked out as well as it did! If you’d like to make this gem yours, great news. I just listed it on my website! Head over to www.tayraegems.com (also linked in my bio) to check it out. It’s listed loose, but I’d be happy to set it in a piece of custom jewelry, too. Just send me a DM for more info 🥰 Stone stats: - Missouri River - Untreated - 0.36 ct - 4.3 mm - $325 I’d love to know what you all think of this gem!! I’d also love to know what you all want me to facet next. If you have any ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments. I have a little green Montana sapphire on my machine right now (that will be added to my site later this week), but I’m so curious what else you guys want to see. Thank you to anyone who made it this far for reading my rambles, and I hope you all have a great week! 🫶🏻

My personal thoughts. Would be curious to hear yours! #faceting #lapidaryart #precisioncutgems

Mahenge Garnet – Portuguese Cut Exquisite 2.86 ct Mahenge garnet, precision-cut in a complex 177-facet Portuguese design. The gem displays pinkish-peach hue characteristic of the finest Mahenge material, appearing beautifully peach-toned in natural light. Perfectly loupe-clean and masterfully cut, the stone delivers exceptional brilliance, with endless flashes of light across its intricate faceting. A top-class collector gemstone—rare, vibrant, and cut to the highest standard. Amazing rough from: @truthseekerfacetrough Origin: Mahenge-Tanzania Treatment: NONE Dimensions: 8,2x8,2x5,8mm Weight: 2,86ct / 0,572g Clarity: loupe-clean Cut: portuguese cut (177 facets) #mahengegarnet #gemstones #gemcutting #jewellery #faceting

If concave faceting looks so awesome, why is every stone in the mall cut with flat, straight lines? Because curves are expensive. To cut a traditional, flat-faceted gemstone, a lapidary presses the rough crystal against a flat, spinning lap (think like a record player with abrasives). It is efficient, mathematical, and relatively fast, plus you can automate it. Concave faceting throws that entire process in the bin. You obviously can’t use a flat disk to make a curve. To cut these lenses, the cutter has to use a specialised machine (often called an OMF, or Optical Machining Fixture) and grind each individual facet using tiny, diamond-coated cylindrical mandrels. It takes way longer and it requires a master’s understanding of light behaviour. And because you’re carving deep grooves into the stone, you sacrifice a lot more of the rough crystal’s weight, which the average consumer really cares about. It’s why 1.00 carat stones are so much more expensive than 0.99 carat stones. Mass manufacturing hates losing weight and time. So the industry sticks to flat mirrors, and leaves the concave lasers to the artists.

“It takes 10,000 to truly master anything. Time spent leads to experience; experience leads to proficiency; and the more proficient you are the more valuable you’ll be.” - Malcolm Gladwell. #faceting #fantasycut #gemcutting

Gemstone Faceting. #gemsfaceting #stonefaceting #stone #gemstone #facetingmachine

Lately I’ve noticed that I alternate between both hands when I’m faceting (something I didnt notice I was doing until I watched it back on video lol). It seems to depend on wether I’m using my right hand to make small height adjustments on the mast or rotating the index gear around, but although I am a lefty I have always considered myself ambidextrous at many things, I guess ill just add faceting to the list now 😀 #tatumgems #gemcutter #faceting #bespoke #womeninstem #lapidarist #gemmologist

The journey of a Faceting Apprentice gemstone in the hands of one of our students. www.facetingapprentice.com