Faceting Diagrams Just a Peek

[iLander]

In another thread, someone asked if there are other cutting styles for an oval, and someone else mentioned a name of one.

So, I thought I'd start a short thread on faceting diagrams that I've come across on the net, just so everyone can see all the types and styles out there. There really is a huge variety of crazy stuff out there, some of it seems kind of Gonzo to me, actually.

I personally, would NOT ask a faceter for a specific named cut, because I think it would make them run away screaming. I think most of them tend to work with their own preferred, tried and true cuts, and probably wouldn't risk their rough on some crazy idea I have. Plus, a lot of the diagrams make me tired just looking at them.

But it's fun to look!

http://www.gemologyproject.com/wiki/index.php?title=Faceting_Designs (scroll to the bottom for some weird stuff)

http://www.usfacetersguild.org/index_designs.shtml

 

[chrono]

There are TONs of cuts just for a single shape alone, so many to the point that I don't know where to start. This is only for the more common basic round, cushion, oval, trilliant, and pear. Then there's other fancier shapes such as 5 sided, 6 sided, and etc.

Jeff Graham is a highly respected name in the faceting industry so I think of this as my way of paying tribute to his designs. I cannot seem to find his old website. Perhaps it was taken down after his passing away.
www.customgemstonestudio.com/tag/jeff-graham

More actual diagrams here:
www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/gem_designs/design_index.shtml

 

[minousbijoux]

One of the things I've always gotten a kick out of is when a lapidary sends me the cutting diagrams for a stone he/she wants to cut for me. Hold on, and I'll get out my engineering degree...

 

[VapidLapid]

Jeff Graham was a wonderful source and resource, and amazingly gifted designer and lapidary. Even though his website is gone we can still visit it in all its wonderfulness with the wayback machine!

http://web.archive.org/web/20050316214353/http://www.faceters.com/gemstones/

 

[chrono]

Thanks VL. I looked all over for his website but couldn't find it.

 

[JewelFreak]

Chrono, an informative & interesting resource. Thank you for putting it all together! Whenever I look at cutting diagrams, my tiny mind fritzes but at the same time I'd love to be able to learn how. Cutters come up with so many ways to enhance the performance & highlight the attributes of gems; the creativity seems almost infinite.

Great to see Jeff Graham's old site. I hope he's cutting some beautiful stars now.

--- Laurie

 

[Michael_E]

Here's a resource for you folks:
http://www.facetdiagrams.org/database/

Over 4000 designs from what was basically the old Datavue program. There are something just shy of 600 round diagrams in this database. Anything that you want a cutter to cut can probably be located in here, (or at least have a good starting point for a new design).

 

[minousbijoux]

Here's a resource for you folks:
http://www.facetdiagrams.org/database/

Over 4000 designs from what was basically the old Datavue program. There are something just shy of 600 round diagrams in this database. Anything that you want a cutter to cut can probably be located in here, (or at least have a good starting point for a new design).

Michael E!!! So happy to "see" you here! We have missed you so please stop by more often if you can stomach us.

 

[Michael_E]

Michael E!!! So happy to "see" you here! We have missed you so please stop by more often if you can stomach us.

Thanks minousbijoux, I will. I sold my house a couple of years ago and have worked for a couple of other jewelers in the intervening time. I've ended up working for a fellow in Bellingham, Wa., making mokume gane and it's working out really well, so I'll be sticking around here and have some more time to yak it up on some of the forums. Nice to see so many folks still deeply into gems!

There are other things that can be done with all of these gem diagrams. Most of the better rendering programs now have the ability to display dispersion, (fire), as well as colors in a wide range of hues and tones. They can even use the property of "attenuation" to show how larger sizes or different cuts are affected by the absorption of light as the light path in a gem gets longer. Lot's of cool things available for those who want to "see" what their ideas will look like before they actually commit to cutting.

 

[minousbijoux]

I sold my house a couple of years ago and have worked for a couple of other jewelers in the intervening time. I've ended up working for a fellow in Bellingham, Wa., making mokume gane and it's working out really well, so I'll be sticking around here and have some more time to yak it up on some of the forums. Nice to see so many folks still deeply into gems!

There are other things that can be done with all of these gem diagrams. Most of the better rendering programs now have the ability to display dispersion, (fire), as well as colors in a wide range of hues and tones. They can even use the property of "attenuation" to show how larger sizes or different cuts are affected by the absorption of light as the light path in a gem gets longer. Lot's of cool things available for those who want to "see" what their ideas will look like before they actually commit to cutting.

Congrats on the sale of your house and on moving into a new technique. I had the pleasure of seeing some of your work on another website and was impressed.

Now those kinds of renderings would be great for people with little skill to imagine (read me). Hopefully, more lapidaries will start using them in the future.

 

[chrono]

Michael,
Are you still faceting or is your focus now more on the setting / bench side of the business?

 

[Michael_E]

Michael,
Are you still faceting or is your focus now more on the setting / bench side of the business?

Hi Chrono,
I'm mostly doing metal work right now, maybe cutting one stone a week for myself. I take the raw mokume, then form the rings, fabricate any settings from sheet or wire, add them to the band and then set any stones that the client wants. Here's an example of a ruby trellis ring that we fabricated a while back. Getting just the right recurve on that band and then fabbing the wire work to all blend together well was quite a challenge....much different from making a model and casting it.

 

[gsellis]

iLander, at your first link, Marco is probably one of my favorite new designers. I use Squartuguese and Sparkly Dome a lot. I cut Soccer Dome as a present for a girl soccer player (my boss' daughter). And check out Fiorino 80. The design looks like a hibiscus.

The cool thing about the link Michael posted is the search function in the application / database it is from. When I have some rough I need to fit a cut to, I can put in ratios or search strings and find what I want. This week I wanted to cut an emerald cut for a piece of Mt. Antero aquamarine. It needed to be 1.25 ratio. Finally found a cut I could use (because I already had cut too many step cuts maximizing some Hogg Mine stuff - there was only about 30 carets of facet material available).

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

I just started on the bench as well Michael, for the main reason of getting into Mokume. I love the ring! I am envious of where you are and know how much I have ahead of me to get to where you are at.

 

[minousbijoux]

iLander, at your first link, Marco is probably one of my favorite new designers. I use Squartuguese and Sparkly Dome a lot. I cut Soccer Dome as a present for a girl soccer player (my boss' daughter). And check out Fiorino 80. The design looks like a hibiscus.

The cool thing about the link Michael posted is the search function in the application / database it is from. When I have some rough I need to fit a cut to, I can put in ratios or search strings and find what I want. This week I wanted to cut an emerald cut for a piece of Mt. Antero aquamarine. It needed to be 1.25 ratio. Finally found a cut I could use (because I already had cut too many step cuts maximizing some Hogg Mine stuff - there was only about 30 carets of facet material available).

Okay, since you brought it up, I'll confess that he is my cutting idol. His designs are amazing. Every time I see one, I'm in awe. He lives in the same town that I do, and I have yet to gather the courage to contact him. Rock star status, most definitely!