New Fantasy Machine is here

After many years of using the Polymetric OMF for cutting concave facets I have taken the big step to upgrade to the ULTRA TEC Faceting Fantasy machine.

Until recently I thought the only option would be to swap my Fac-Ette GemMaster faceting machine for another brand, like Ultra Tec which was compatible with the fantasy machine. Then I found out that the folks at Ultra Tec have devised an option to adapt the fantasy machine for the Fac-Ette GemMaster.


This is their first Fac-Ette (default) left mast version. I am looking forward to the faceting options that this machine will open — once I learn and get up to speed on the features it offers.

one third of the way

Here is the first stone cut using the new fantasy machine. It is a 12.1 mm., 7.11 carat rose quartz hexagon with concave facets on both pavilion and crown.

For faceting demonstrations at the local club shows, I typically want something that is big enough for visitors to see, but inexpensive enough that I won’t be upset when working in less than ideal conditions (distractions!) results in mistakes. Lemon citrine and rose quartz seem to be what I end of choosing for these situations.

Since I had a number of pieces of rose quartz pre-formed from a chunk I acquired for just that purpose last year from Steve Ulatowski / New Era Gems, I am working with that for the “learning experiences” I know I am going to have getting used to new equipment and cutting options. It was a good choice — on this piece I had several “oops” happenings ranging from rolling off the mandrel (had it turning the wrong way) to running off the end of the mandrel (did not check the mast position adequately).

Yet Another Ametrine

This 7.44 carat, 11.5 mm. gem is the last of my ametrine parcel purchased from Steve Ulatowski / New Era Gems last February in Tucson.

It was another experiment to see if the gold / purple color break could show up and still have a stone that sparkles and glows.

The camera shows the color variation better than it appears to the eye.

Just for Fun

This stone was as much for fun as for anything else. It is a 8.47 carat prasiolite, 13.2 mm.in diameter. The pavilion had a row of narrow concave facets splitting the normal culet row facets. Then the crown was rounded up to the table instead of using rows of flat facets. Finally a number of concave facets were added to the crown.

The camera once again sees things the do not quite match what I see. The pattern in the center is not something that I “see”. and the light and dark pattern is much more subtle.

Another Ametrine

Here is a 5.97 carat ametrine which measures 10.4 mm. across. In an experiment to see if the two colors would show rather than mix, I tried using concave facets on two sides of the pavilion to make it really bright, and using steep angles on the other two sides (similar to a method used for closed C axis tourmalines.)

It seemed to work somewhat. As usual, the camera showed the difference more than it seemed to me. And also added a bit an impressionist painting look to the stone.