[Jewelry making - Article 00204] - Re: [Orchid] Cabochon Backs: Polished or Unpolished

[Kevin P. Kelly]

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>     I collect and sell rare, natural turquoise and find that leaving
>     the back of a stone unpolished helps to identify the stone as
>     natural, untreated material. 

    There's a much simpler way to detect treated turquoise: use a sewing
    needle or straight pin; heat it and touch it to the suspect stone in
    an inconspicuous spot. If you smell resin you'll know. Whether to
    polish the back or not is a matter of aesthetics. A well cut stone
    will have the edge chamfered, as someone has already pointed out, to
    prevent chips. Polishing the back indicates attention to detail and,
    this is purely personal, makes for a more attractive stone. 

    I've bought many stones, finished and rough, and much of it is
    slipshod. I buy cut stones. I look at them as preforms. I've rarely
    bought one that I didn't recut. I don't know how jewelers who aren't
    lapidarys deal with the problem of poorly cut stones. Most cutters
    don't have a clue about setting stones. Well cut stones are difficult
    to sell since most consider the price as the most important factor.
    So it's a more limited market. 

KPK
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