Faceting Workshop

Modern showroom with display tables and lights

The Faceting Room

Faceting is the lapidary process of cutting and polishing flat surfaces (facets) onto a rough gem stone to maximize its brilliance, color, and light reflection, transforming it into a gemstone. It involves using a precision machine to grind angles, often utilized for jewelry.

Key Aspects of Gem Faceting:

  • The Process: Involves preforming, dopping (securing the stone), grinding, and polishing using a horizontal lap.
  • Precision: Faceters use a faceting machine to cut specific angles and indices, ensuring symmetry.
  • Components:A gemstone is typically divided into the crown (top), girdle (edge), and pavilion (bottom).
  • Light Manipulation: The angle of facets is crucial; incorrect angles can cause light to leak out the back, making the stone appear dull. (Wikipedia)

The club also offers a faceting room to cut gemstones into gems suitable for mounting in jewelry. There are several machines available to members after they have taken the faceting class where you are taught how to cut a facetted stone. A stone is provided as part of the class fee.

Faceting is an advanced skill and requires attention to detail, patience, and perseverance.

Members can submit finished stones to the national jeweler’s guild to be inspected and then be certified as apprentice, journeyman, or master faceters.

As with all of our work areas the member is responsible for cleaning, straightening, and reorganizing their work area at the end of their working session.