When shopping for stones, many factors must be considered, including cut, color, carat, clarity, and cost. However, I see many people ignore the cut when it comes to colored gemstones.
I have had to recut plenty of stones that were originally cut overseas due to their lack of polish, symmetry, lack in brilliance, or because they chipped when setting. Recently, I had to recut a Montana sapphire kite because it chipped when setting, when I analyzed the stone, I realized that the gem had no girdle to be found. This will make any gemstone setter's job increasingly more difficult. Poorly cut colored stones have unfortunately become the standard, and precision gem cutters like myself are trying to make up for that quality of work.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work as a bench jeweler for some time. This experience taught me about all the things to look for in an easily settable gemstone. Because of this experience, I have been able to apply this knowledge to the gems that I facet. For example, I try to be mindful when cutting longer and pointier shapes like kites and shields by adding 2 extra facets to the tips of the stones just to reduce the sharpness of the point, reducing the likelihood of chipping the stone. I also make CAD models of all my gems that can be purchased upon request, which can then be imported into CAD software so jewelry can be designed around my stones so that they fit perfectly, and can even be rendered and sent to clients for approval.
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