anonymity of cutters

[diagem]

Date: 8/28/2006 3:46:12 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 8/28/2006 2:18:38 PM
Author: DiaGem
Every Cutter is a ''part'' artisian, no doubt about it.
I dont think this industry is ready for ''Artist Diamond Cutters''. Since 99% of cutters cut mainstream diamond cuts.
Some of my favorite masterpieces have no ''signatures'', experts can identify these through the workmanship of the piece!!

Plus the fact of my knowing some of the people that are wearing jewelry designs which incorperate my Diamonds designs, gives me tremendous satisfaction!!

I will try to post more pictures in the future!!!

so people can recognize your work just by looking at your stone?? are styles that fine tuned in cutting? I have no idea!

I was going through my old thread (fancy guru) and you linked me to an older thread where someone had asked you about your avatar... and in it you said that you didn''t sell to vendors but sold to jewelers? That seems a very different approach, a very artisan approach... kudos to you!

Some of my designs, yes some can identify my work...
No, usually fancy shaped diamonds (my field) are NOT fine tuned at all, but they possess certain visual paterns that can be identified by good eyes.

 

[He Scores]

Date: 8/27/2006 4:41:09 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 8/27/2006 3:59:24 PM
Author: He Scores



Being a diamond cutter is like being a bridge painter.

You can't step back to admire your work.

You're right...we work very hard to make a nice stone and walla, it get's sent away to a customer rarely to be seen again. It's nice to see people here who appreciate craftsmanship...few can relate to what we do. If you only knew how many times I've slaved to re-cut a stone only to have the jeweler say...'gee, it doesn't even look like the same stone.'

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.



Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

I talked to someone today who explained some of the typical aspects of cutting which is that MANY people work on one stone... from the people who work with the rough and cad design to the first cutter to the girdle lather or cutter (I forget what it was called) to the guy who does the 8 mains to people who specialize in different cuts here and there all the way to the 'brillianteer' I think that's what he called it... anyway, if you have 16 people working on your modern stone it is less an individual piece of art and more a team project.

I guess I'm a bit of a romantic... I remember the old shock absorber commercials or whatever from years ago where the diamond cutter was in the back seat cutting a diamond lol In my head you have this master who carves a diamond the way of David from marble LOL I guess that's not realistic or at least not USUALLY realistic...

I love this topic though... very interesting!

Cehrabehra,

Most production stones are done by sectionalized cutters as you have mentioned above. Not 16 people on one stone, but certainly 3 maybe 4. Girdler, Blocker, Brilliandeerer.

Today's precision cuts don't allow for this. Usually the blocker and brilliandeerer are the same person. Often times the girdling is done by machine.

I am a one man show...I girdle, block and brilliandeer my work. I have cleaved, but that is rarely done in the usual day to day business. I can cut fancies, free forms and all granular structures of rounds.

Also, most sectionalized cutters who work for a manufacturer, usually only work on type of granular structure that his boss buys.

A cutter who has all these skiils is called a Master Cutter. Very few of them around these days. This is one reason why you rarely see modern eliptical fancy shapes with natural girdles. No skill out there.

Why?

We don't get paid too good no how.

Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 8/28/2006 5:15:23 PM
Author: He Scores

Date: 8/27/2006 4:41:09 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 8/27/2006 3:59:24 PM
Author: He Scores



Being a diamond cutter is like being a bridge painter.

You can''t step back to admire your work.

You''re right...we work very hard to make a nice stone and walla, it get''s sent away to a customer rarely to be seen again. It''s nice to see people here who appreciate craftsmanship...few can relate to what we do. If you only knew how many times I''ve slaved to re-cut a stone only to have the jeweler say...''gee, it doesn''t even look like the same stone.''

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.



Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

I talked to someone today who explained some of the typical aspects of cutting which is that MANY people work on one stone... from the people who work with the rough and cad design to the first cutter to the girdle lather or cutter (I forget what it was called) to the guy who does the 8 mains to people who specialize in different cuts here and there all the way to the ''brillianteer'' I think that''s what he called it... anyway, if you have 16 people working on your modern stone it is less an individual piece of art and more a team project.

I guess I''m a bit of a romantic... I remember the old shock absorber commercials or whatever from years ago where the diamond cutter was in the back seat cutting a diamond lol In my head you have this master who carves a diamond the way of David from marble LOL I guess that''s not realistic or at least not USUALLY realistic...

I love this topic though... very interesting!

Cehrabehra,

Most production stones are done by sectionalized cutters as you have mentioned above. Not 16 people on one stone, but certainly 3 maybe 4. Girdler, Blocker, Brilliandeerer.

Today''s precision cuts don''t allow for this. Usually the blocker and brilliandeerer are the same person. Often times the girdling is done by machine.

I am a one man show...I girlde, block and brilliandeer my work. I have cleaved, but that is rarely done in the usual day to day business. I can cut fancies, free forms and all granular structures of rounds.

Also, most sectionalized cutters who work for a manufacturer, usually only work on type of granular structure that his boss buys.

A cutter who has all these skiils is called a Master Cutter. Very few of them around these days. This is one reason why you rarely see modern eliptical fancy shapes with natural girdles. No skill out there.

Why?

We don''t get paid too good no how.

Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

hehehe - maybe it''s likek paintings - they''re worth more when youre gone... start putting "Bill Bray" on the girdle of every stone you cut!

I think the whole custom cutting thing is just fantastic... I don''t know about creating new cuts and wasting rough blah blah millions blah blah, but just saying to a cutter like yourself, "I want a 2.5 carat 1.20:1 OMC J with strong blue flour VS2" and having someone find the rough, create the diamond and ''sign'' it and give it to you... probably a fantasy I cannot afford now matter how "don''t get paid too good" you are! LOL!