[Jewelry making - Article 00512] - Re: [Orchid] Asian Faceting Methods

[Gerry]

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    All, Often I hear about how backwards techniques of faceting and
    treatments of gemstones are in Asia.  I would like to give you a few
    of my observations over the last 25 or so years.  First on faceting. 
    I am convinced that most Asian large commercial faceting companies
    are no longer using jam peg machines.  They are using modified
    facetors based upon the Lee facetor design and Imahashi machines.  I
    base this upon talking with many stone dealers that travel to Asia
    two or three times a year and visit directly with the companies.  I
    have recut thousands of stones cut in Asia and have found most are
    cut on indexed machines.  In my opinion you are much more liable to
    find a jam pegged stone coming from Brazil or Africa than Asia. When
    the CZ Cutting Industry crashed about five years ago I was offered
    150 Imahashi machines from Korea that were used in the CZ Industry. 
    Someone in Sri Lanka ended up buying them. 

    As far as treatment of gemstones goes.  The common perception is
    that Asian Treaters are still using charcoal ovens and using
    experience as their only guide for treatments.  Nothing could be
    further from the truth.  Most of the major treaters are using state
    of the art equipment and trained scientists to work on the stones. 

    Over the years billions of dollars has flowed into Asia gemcutting
    businesses from the USA and Europe.  To think that Asian gemcutting
    businesses are backward is wrong. They are state of the art.  Asian
    gemcutting is focused differently from the gemcutting perception
    European and US cutters are trying to foster.  Meet point and exact
    proportions are not always the goal with expensive and rare material.
    Just my observations. 

Gerry Galarneau
G+LW Gem Mall Booth 111, Feb 1-14, 2003
www.galarneausgems.com
ggwcr AT cox.net

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