Tips For Cutting the Kal-Toh Design

1. Since we do not have the luxury of meetpoint faceting in this design, try to keep the visual proportions that Kim shows in the diagrams. Do not worry about getting the proportions perfect on rough grit laps, but work on getting the proportions of the facets closer each time you go to a new lap/grit.

2. Choose the optimal material to cut. Kim Lembke suggests that it be faceted in medium saturation garnet. I decided to facet the gemstone in golden citrine to give it a more dramatic effect by adding some extinction to the gemstone. Extinction is when the gemstone loses light and we see dark areas in the gemstone. To quote Tuvok, “Without the darkness, how would we recognize the light?”

Although this worked for my purposes, I would suggest following Kim’s suggestion and using medium saturated garnet or YAG, Yttrium Aluminum Garnet, a synthetic gem material used for optic and laser technology.

3. If you are a North American gem cutter, facet G1 after P2. Kim is from Australia and I have noticed that Australian gemstone designers tend to use a different cutting sequence on the pavilion. Their North American colleagues usually facet the girdle early in their gemstone cutting sequence. Regardless of when you facet the girdle, keep in mind that the crown is very high on this gemstone and you should leave enough room to cut the girdle and crown. The pavilion is the same depth as the girdle and crown both are high.

4. When faceting the pavilion, I do not cut P6 and P7 until I have polished all the other pavilion facets. This gives me the ability to be more precise with putting in the frosted facets of P6 and P7. I use a worn-out 1,200-grit lap to cut P6 and P7 to give me the frosted facets and dramatize the difference between these facets and the polished facets. I cut my frosted facets in my example in a similar proportion as shown in the diagram, however, I think a variation of thinner facets or polished facets for P6 and P7 would be a welcome variation.

5. When cutting the crown, the only meet points you have are on the table. Your table size will depend on the depth that you cut C2 and C3. The deeper you cut these facets (or the smaller C1 is) the larger the outcome of your table. Gauge the table size when cutting in C2 and C3 with your rough grit laps and refine your facet sizes as you progress with your finer grit laps. Keep an eye on the place and size of the table.

Give it a Try!

Kal-toh is a challenging gemstone to facet. In the game, “Kal-toh is to chess what chess is to tic-tac-toe” said Tuvok. I hope that you give this gemstone design a try and that my suggestions make the faceting experience a pleasant journey. Keep in mind that a no-meet-point design also gives you the ability to play with the proportions and the gemstone’s final outcome. As Captain James T. Kirk said, “Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity.”

This story about gem faceting the Kal Toh design appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Mark Oros.

The post Gem Faceting: Kal-Toh Design first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Faceting Different Versions

The Hoshi’s (Japanese for “star”) size and symmetry of facets on the crown and girdle provide the opportunity to add ornamental facets. I faceted two versions of Marco’s Hoshi for this article. The first one used the design provided and the second was embellished with frosted facets and concave girdle facets.

I jazz this design up a little differently each time I use it. I recommend faceting the design as seen in the faceting diagram first because the girdle is very different and the small crown facets need some time and finer grits to get lined up. Once you facet the diagram, then cut another, adding embellishments to it.

Gem Faceting – Two From One

I used the same piece of Ouro Verde quartz (AKA lemon quartz) rough for both gemstones to show the difference between the two styles in the same color. I did this by using a single longer gemstone that would normally be used for a long rectangle or briolette shape. I preformed the rough and then cut the gemstone in half, giving me two identical preforms. This is a good method for making matching earrings and using longer materials without waste.

I use the Hoshi design in my gemstone faceting lessons. The student facets a round brilliant design for their first gemstone. For the second gemstone, they select either Marco Voltolini’s Hoshi or Maya Drop design. Students get to decide how they want to embellish the gemstone by choosing different facet patterns and the shapes and placement of concave facets on the girdle. This allows the student to try frosting facets, use the ULTRA TEC Fantasy Machine and add their distinct personality.

Ouro Verde Quartz

I like to use Ouro Verde quartz for the majority of my small to medium test cuts. It is a beautiful and affordable gemstone rough that shows off the stone’s best attributes. I recommend my friends at Storied Gemstones when buying gemstone rough. When you call, please tell them I said hello!

If you have any questions about faceting this design or would like to make suggestions for future gemstone designs, please contact me at www.hashnustones.com and use the contact form.

This story about gem faceting the Hoshi gemstone design previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Mark Oros.

The post Gem Faceting: Hoshi Design first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.

Andrew’s design is more about the overall appearance, using facets that provide a pleasing and complex composition. The combination of both round and triangular symmetries invites the beholder to reflect on a unique and inviting set of patterns.

Andrew paid special attention to the low refractive index (how much light will bend when entering the gem) for quartz to minimize windowing (losing the reflective nature of the gem’s facets), allowing the gemstone to be seen at greater angles without losing its reflective properties.

For modern jewelry designs, the first place I look is at Andrew Brown’s five gemstone design books. In my opinion, Andrew’s innovative and well-performing designs are on the cutting edge. His designs are either new impressions on classics or a complete break from tradition.

The Super Star design is straightforward and should pose no big challenges to faceters of any level. The design is created for quartz and looks better in a larger gemstone. Larger quartz gemstones can be frustrating to polish so I recommend that you take your time and establish a superior pre-polish before polishing.

Andrew is a prolific gemstone designer and author, having completed five gemstone design books and currently working on his sixth. I had the honor and pleasure of working with Andrew on the faceting book Twelve Easy Gemstone Faceting Designs – A Guide for the Beginner Gemcutter. You can find our book collaboration at https://www. hashnustones.com/twelve-stones1.html. You can find Andrew’s books at https://facetingdesigns.com.

If you have any questions about faceting this design or would like to make suggestions for future gemstone designs, please contact me at https://www.hashnustones.com and use the contact form.

This story about gem faceting the Super Star gemstone design previously appeared in Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story by Mark Oros.

The post Gem Faceting: Super Star Design first appeared on Rock & Gem Magazine.