[Jewelry making - Article 00060] - Re: [Orchid] Light entering faceted stones

[Galarneau's]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


    All, Most of the knowledge available lays out in great detail the
    physics and mathematics about what a "well cut gemstone" should look
    like.  There are definite physical limits to the way that light can
    be bent. refracted, and perceived by the eye.  Computers can readily
    model the cuts and give you a good idea of what the finished stone
    should look like.  From this point on I have many disagreements with
    what is called a "well cut gemstone".  I see many stones that are
    award winners that have very little practical use in jewelry. To me
    an award winning stone is an art and not always a well cut stone.
    Gemstones do not come out of the ground in neat little preforms all
    ready for someone to enter the dimensions into a computer, out pops
    the perfect cut for that stone, and a person dops the stone and a
    "well cut gemstone":  Gemstones come out of the ground in irregular
    shapes, with no color, clarity problems, dichroism problems and many
    other variables.  Each and every gemstone has many different ways in
    which it can be cut, but only a very few that yield the best result
    for that stone.  My goal is to produce the best gemstone I can to be
    fashioned into metal jewelry.   That means that I have certain
    restrictions about depth, clarity, color, girdle, and crown.  I also
    must fashion a gemstone out of the rough that has enough weight
    retention to make the stone economically feasible to cut.  It does me
    no good to cut a $200 piece of rough into a $150 gemstone.  If the
    gemstone rough will not cut a perfect stone then I have to manipulate
    the cut and cutting to produce the best economically feasible stone
    that the rough can produce.  That is where a cutter makes money. The
    most important cut on the gemstone is the table. Where you place the
    table will determine all the rest of what you see in the stone.  A
    stone with a properly orientated table will look many times better
    than a stone that has an incorrect table orientation.  Everything
    else that is ground on the stone will be determined by how much stone
    is under the table.  Individual facets depth, placement of those
    facets, and polish are not near as important as orientation. 
    Orientation can not be modeled in a computer.  Knowledge, experience,
    and skill determine the orientation of a well cut gemstone.  My idea
    of a well cut gemstone is not what everyone can make.   Go by a
    Gemcutters booth at your next gemshow.  If they have 25 of their own
    art stones and 500 stones cut in Asia you may be impressed by the 25
    art stones.  Go by a Gemcutters booth that has 1,500 of their own
    stones all that, are bright, colorful, and easily set into metal and
    you are looking at a Cutter that knows how to cut a "Well Cut
    Gemstone". 

Gerry Galarneau
www.galarneausgems.com

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________