Pictured here is the last of the gems started as a faceting demonstration at the Orcutt show. It is a nice orange, octagonal shaped 3.67 carat citrine that is 9.5 mm across. The rough material is from Brazil, among the items purchased during last February’s Tucson adventures.
During the weekend of the Orcutt show, I got a start on a batch of amethysts and citrines from the faceting demonstration. Of course, that meant that last week, I had that batch to finish up.
Shown here is the first one started at the show. It is a 2.86 carat amethyst which is 9.0 mm. in diameter. This one also got a little extra in the way of concave facets on the pavilion after the show since only the flat facet equipment was used for the demonstration.
This 5.47 carat ametrine is half the purple amethyst color and half the orange citrine color, but it all gets mixed up in this sort of cut. The camera does a better job of “seeing” the two colors than my eye in most cases.
To see this for yourself, come by the Orcutt Mineral Society show this weekend being held Friday through Sunday at the Nipomo High School. It will be on display by the faceting demonstration along with a selection of other faceted gems.
I will be demonstrating faceting during the Orcutt Mineral Society Show next weekend.
The event will take place at the Nipomo High School from Friday, August 3rd through Sunday, August 5th. Free admission and parking.
In addition to the demonstration, I will have on display an assortment of gemstones faceted from natural materials and available for purchase.
If you are in the SLO area, do come by the show.
Another type of cut I find appealing is the “opposed bar” cut where instead of having top and bottom facets aligned in parallel, they are at 90 degrees from each other. Unfortunately, I have yet to figure out how to photograph that sort of stone so that it shows as well as it should.
Pictured here is a 2.83 carat Morganite (pink beryl) opposed bar cut from Nigerian rough obtained last February in Tucson from John E’ Garsow.