* Gem Rough * Cut Gemstones *

Gem Cutting Services

Many people have stones they think may be worthwhile to have cut, and don't know how to get that done... especially rockhounds or others who have found crystals or "mined" them in a dig-for-fee site. Other people may have stones- especially in hand-me-down jewelry- that are worn and/or chipped; not looking as nice as they used to; these stones can often be recut or repolished. Others have foreign-cut stones they want recut to enhance the stone's optical properties; these stones are often purchased at reasonable rates, and recutting can improve their appearance and value.
I'm forever amazed at the sources of facetable gems- and how many people have them- and they don't have to be expensive to make wonderful faceted stones.

Faceting

There are two main factors being accounted for here: size and cut complexity (generally related to the number of facets). These prices are for most materials; *some* items, especially rare/soft minerals, require extra time and I do charge extra for them.
Much of gemstone cutting requires the same process for every stone, which is what I considered to establish my per stone flat rate for up to the first five carats of finished gemstone weight. If a finished stone weighs 5 carats or less, this is the price for faceting that stone. As stones get larger, it does take more time and will cost more. Some cuts have more facets than others, and take more time... hence, there are actually three categories of prices.

Group One This is the Standard Rounds: standard brilliant, commercial rounds. $75.00 for a stone of up to five carats of finished gemstone weight. 5.01 - 35 carats: add $1.00 for each additional carat (over 5 carats).

Group Two This includes fancy rounds (12 or 16 main, hexagons, octagons), step cuts, ovals, triangles, etc. $150.00 for a stone of up to five carats of finished gemstone weight. 5.01 - 35 carats: add $1.00 for each additional carat (over 5 carats).

Group Three These are the more complex cuts in all shapes: Barions, Portuguese cut, Pear, Heart, etc. $225.00 for a stone of up to five carats of finished gemstone weight. 5.01 - 35 carats: add $1.00 for each carat (over 5 carats).

Yield: expect 15 - 25% yield from most stones... i.e.- if your rough piece weighs 10 ct, expect a 1.5 to 2.5 ct return.

Calibrated sizes, add $10.00 per stone.

Expect an additional 50% price premium for faceting ruby, sapphire, emerald, chrysoberyl, zircon, spinel, CZ.

Natural stones may have defects and inclusions that are difficult to see in the rough which may affect the stone's final size and appearance! Many gems may be unpredictable in polishing. I take all due care to maximize the optical performance of the stone and the yield, but cannot guarantee results that match any (not even my) expectations.

Terms:

Contact us prior to sending any stones- let us know the type, size, and number of stones you are interested in having faceted. This will help with scheduling considerations. I will consider any rough sent to me for faceting as pending mutual approval: after evaluating the rough for what shape and size I feel it will yield (even if the sender has specified the shape/cut that they want), I will notify the sender (by e-mail, usually), and proceed with the cutting only if this is acceptable to the sender.

For those who want to send a check with the rough stone(s), figure about 25% of the weight as expected yield; we can make adjustments when the stone is finished. Otherwise, I will cut the stone(s) and notify the sender of the finished weight and charges, and will mail the stone(s) upon receipt of payment.

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME SENDING STONES TO US, OR IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE QUALITY OF YOUR STONES:
Include $15.00 USD check or money order with your stones. If the stones you sent are not facetable, this is our fee for the time involved to inspect your stones and return your rough stones. If the stone(s) you sent are faceted by us, we will either return your check or apply the $15.00 to the faceting fees- whichever you choose.

After notification of faceting completion, payment must be received within 30 days or we will consider the stones to be abandoned. After 30 days, we reserve the right to sell the goods for the price of the cutting fees, and there will not be replacement or reimbursement for the rough.

No need to send it here to see if it is facetable material; you can get a good idea by yourself. Here is our generic advice for this:

(1) Set it on a piece of white paper in average lighting, like at your dinner table in the evening. When faceted, it will be as dark (or darker) than it appears on the paper. Decide if the color you see is worth going farther. If the *shadow* of the piece is just dark, and not tinted with the color of the stone, the chances are good that it will be dark and lifeless when faceted.

(2) It has to be free of cracks, inclusions, etc that disrupt the path of light through the stone and are likely to split open during the faceting process. Put an "X" on one side of the stone with a magic marker. Hold the other side of the stone towards you. If you cannot see the entire "X" clearly when looking through the stone, with no obstructions, "clouds", or other things in the way, it is probably not facet quality.

(3) Hold it near the edge of a desk lamp with an opaque shade, so the light is pointed 90 degrees to your line of sight. Turn it in every direction you can, looking for things inside the stone that "light up". Placing your finger on the backside of the stone will often help make these things appear more easily. Generally, the areas that light up in this part are cracks, veils, or other such inclusions. (It can sometimes be reflections from the stone's surface, so look carefully.) If you are not completely sure that the stone passed each test, it did *not* pass the test.

Be realistic about these things. It can save time and postage. These are the first things I will do to evaluate whether or not to facet a stone, if it does not pass all of them (and some other criteria), I will probably not cut it. My policy is to not facet any stone unless I expect the finished gem to be attractive, and worth more than the cutting fees (unless a customer has a good reason to convince me otherwise).

Part of why people refer to me is because I work hard to see that people get their money's worth.

Use this opportunity to check out our quality faceting rough or take advantage of our discount prices on our full line of quality lapidary equipment and supplies. We offer prompt, courteous service, shipping on most items within 24 hours, a no-nonsense satisfaction guarantee, and excellent after-sale support.

Ordering is easy at the Facet Shoppe; choose the way that works best for you...

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