[Jewelry making - Article 01101] - Re: [Orchid] Suggestions for Lapidary Journal

[Gerry]

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All,

    Last year at Tucson I spent one whole day buying facetted stones in
    calibrated sizes. I went to dealers that had thousands of stones for
    sale cut in Brazil, China, Thailand, and India. 10 hours I spent
    looking and buying. 10 hours with a #5 Optivisor and a 10X loop.
    What I saw showed me that mass production stone cutting facilities
    were still many, many miles behind turning out quality products.  I
    went through over 100,000 carats of tourmalines, topaz, quartz, and
    topaz. It was discouraging to see how many stones were so sloppily
    cut. Terrible cutting, and I challenge anyone to put one of these
    stones next to one of my own commercial cut stones.  Mass production
    factories produce low quality cutting. Even the carvings from China
    show none of the skill in finishing that the carvings had until about
    1960. I bought these stones for low value jewelry. After picking them
    one at a time I still rejected 20% that were too low a quality to
    even consider reselling. It appals me that most of the jewelers in
    the USA use these stones in thier custom jewelry and spread the idea
    that these stones are of the acceptable quality. Do jewelers look at
    the finish on the stones under 10X, check the proportions, or the
    symettry? Leave alone checking for meets and quality orientation of
    the rough. 

    Cabachons are even worse. Poor quality polish, poor orientation of
    pattern, no attention to detail. 

    All through the year I get calls from jewelers and stone dealers
    wanting me to make thier cheap stones into custom stones.  I tell
    them to buy from me or another quality cutter and they will not have
    to bother recutting a stone. I also tell them they can trade in thier
    stone as a preform to me and I will credit the amount I would pay for
    that preform to a quaility stone that they can buy from me. 

    The best stone cutters and carvers on Earth now exist in the
    following countries, Canada, Australia, Germany, Israel, and the
    USA. The rest is low value, commercial quality. 

    I have searched far and wide for a custom cutting shop. The only one
    I have found that even understands what I am talking about is in
    SriLanka. 

    Bring your stones to me at Tucson at the Gem Mall and I will show
    you the difference. 

Gerry Galarneau
gggemswcr AT cox.net

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