Q.    If lapidary is as easy as you indicate on this site, everyone would be cutting gems, wouldn't they?
     If everyone knew just how easy it is, yes, there'd be a lot more people enjoying it. .  What stops people is the high cost of equipment (at least $2,000 for a commercial faceting or cabbing machine) and the high cost of gem rough (high quality synthetics represent a fine alternative to natural materials).

Q.  I can understand the cutting aspect, but where do you obtain all the gem rough to cut?
   
    A.  That's the easiest part of all.  There are dealers all over the world who'll be glad to sell you rough and you can reach them on the Internet especially at Ebay or just Google for "cabochon rough".

Q. What's a good cleaner for gemstones that's safe and efficient? Is ammonia really necessary?
A. Nix on the ammonia: it stinks heartily and that's about it. Use ordinary eyeglass cleaner, or you can toss the gemstone into a shot of vodka (seriously!). Vodka is vegetable based alcohol so it'll do a great jog cleansing a crystalline surface while evaporating without stains. You can then drink the vodka - and maybe your eye sight will no doubt detect a fantastic gem improvement.

Q.  Gemcutting sounds like something where you'd be better served by enlisting the help of an experienced teacher.  I live too far away from such a resource.
     A.   Most gemcutters don't have quick, easy access to instructors either - which is why the bulk of American gemcutters are self-taught.  I keep insisting that it's that easy, and information is easy to come by. There's the lcal guilds plus an active lapidary newsletter community, federations, local clubs, private instructors. Furthermore, many guys and gals simply lash up with colleagues on a share-the-info basis.

Q.  I attach gemstone rough to a metal dopstick with cyanoacrylates (Superglue) and epoxy, but it's a devil to break down the matured attachment when I want to remove the stone.  Isn't there an easy way?
    A.  There certainly is a simple, safe way - and it's not the old fashioned method  of soaking  in such dangerous solvents as Acetone, Ketone or one of the other relatively ugly chemicals.  Use an ancient goldsmith's trick: to protect your stone, wrap it in a water saturated folded strip of paper napkin then train a Propane torch right on the metal dopstick you want to remove.  Hold this dopstick in pliars (you can heat your fingers up swiftly and fiercely otherwise!) and keep a steady breakoff pressure on the attachment intersection.  In a couple of seconds, the superglue and/or epoxy will surrender completely to the heat and the still cool stone will lift away.  Trust the wetted tissue: veteran goldsmiths even use this heat sink stunt to solder around pearls.

Q. Wax dopping is such a coordinated heat and slop method with wood dopsticks.  Is there a better way?
    A.  Of course there is. Take advantage of wax's tendency to cold roll, long a vexing characteristic to gem cutters.  Just melt some wax, get it to wrap around the wood dopstick and then, holding the stick vertically,  push the wax glob down flat against a cold glass, metal or plastic surface.  The wax will still cling to the wood dowel but the glob's tip will cold roll  out flat against the chilly surface. Now put superglue on the flat wax platform and attach  the stone. For removal, heat a knife and cut off the wax and the superglue - or, better yet, place  the dopstick-stone assembly in the freezer for a few minutes (and thus shrink the attachment).

Q.  I'm not certain I can perform lapidary or even want to.  Is there an inexpensive intro?
   A.  Yes. Faceting can be a terribly monotonous undertaking, particularly when you must spend so much time attending to machine settings. Now, get ready for a commercial.  I hold the patent on the easy-to-use Calibrated Jamb Peg faceting machine.  I still sell a metal assembly kit for the CJP faceting head, but there's even a more inexpensive option. Because a jamb peg machine is so simple to make I'm selling plans on how to make your own wooden CJP. It's great for a quick test to see if you'll like faceting.

Don't sell this basic little faceting machine short:   it'll do anything - and more - than the $2,000 to $5,000 machines do.  I jamb peg on my machine exclusively because it's quick, easy and responsive without a lot of mechanical controls.  Jamb pegs rely on your own intuitive feeling about what should be done rather than make you fiddle with complex controls.

Q.  I know nothing about faceting but I'm interested in learning. Can you outline a good introduction on what equipment and training I'd need - and how long?
   A.  It really isn't all that complicated. For a quickie introduction, link on over to my special faceting page (you'll find the link on the"Home" page) and read the whole thing. It's commercial AND info. lso, link to "Gemlore" on the site and read all the free info on faceting.

You'll find that you need an adquately "equipped" faceting machine, some step-by-step instructions either with a teacher or a good manual - and a few hours of devoted attention. I gave a biased machine option in the last question because the CJP is very inexpensive, rapid to learn and improves with your skills. With it, you'll need a power platform and you can buy one for about $150 or obtain my CD on Make Your Own Hand Powered Platform for $25 or less. You'll also need a good instructional manual on how to facet and you could get my CD on Master Faceting (faceting technique in general) or my CD on Make Your Own Wood CJP which provides excellent instructions for faceting with a jamb peg. I also have a full-length video on faceting (with emphasis on jamb pegging) although the visuals and sound aren't all that hot because of the conversion from analog to digial: still the information is as good as tomorrow morning.

You'll also need accessory equipment such as dopping sticks (usually 2-in long 0.25" OD brass, aluminum or steel dowels), perhaps a transfer block (my CDs show you how to make one for pennies), some adhesive (preferably 2-part paste epoxy, an alcohol lamp, a penlight and a 10x eye loupe (for examing rough mostly - because it's mighty disheartening to finish a nice faceted gem only to discover a big, fat, dark inclusion right where you should have seen it before you started faceting!), a small millimeter measuring gauge, laps (both abrasive and polishing), some polishing chemicals or fine diamond grit - and some loose faceting rough.

Q.  How about cabochon cutting? Do you have an introductory for this type of lapidary, too?
   A.  Sure - it's essentially the same as for faceting but with different equipment and not so many accessories. Basically, all you need to try out your hand at cabochon cutting (and some folks never want to go past cabbing)

- a cabbing machine (you can also build one yourself for only a few dollars using the plans in either or both of my CD-ROM tutorials on making cab equipment. lso check the "Gemcase" link on this site for some inexpensive ebooks on cabochon design, cutting, etc.

- some silicon carbon cutting wheels and polishing laps, plus some chemicals

- some dopping sticks (either 4-inch 0.25" OD brass, aluminum or steel rods, or you can use old sucker sticks or 1/4" wood dowels cut to your desired length

- epoxy (if using metal dopsticks) or hot dopping wax (if working with wood dops)

- a tracing template so you can sketch the outline of a desired shape on the fat mineral slabs

- I have CD-ROMs on Master Gemcutting that will provide you with a fine background and theory on cabbing, and I'm working on a new, comprehensive cabochon book on all kinds of non-faceting lapidary.

- finally, get a nice selection of various cabochon minerals (you can get some great bargains on Ebay or Google for them. Cab rough isn't all that expensive.

Q.  My interests are in gemology? What must I do to become a gemologist and perhaps pursue a career in this field?
   A.  Gemology can be a wonderful field to enter, either personally or professionally. Be careful, though: there are a lot of diplomas mills out there. The only truly worthwhile degrees in gemology is the GG, conferred by the Gemological Institue of America (GIA) and the British gemological association's study-degree program. All the rest, I'm sorry to say, have bad breath, and many of the so-called gemology experts giving out degrees and expertise aren't even legitimate gemologists themselves.

Q.  I'd like to take up jewelry making but I am strapped somewhat for funds. Just how expensive and difficult is it to become a professional level jewelry maker?
   A.  Believe it or not, you can reach commercial level design and productive capability in a surprisingly short time and with a lot less expense than you imagine. Wire Wrapping and even my own String Wrapping technologies will enable you to produce professional level talent quickly and inexpensively. Of course, personal tutoring is best, but the wrapping methods are highly cooperative with self learners.

Of course, if you pursue the goldsmith route, be prepared to spend time and money and schooling because this area just isn't conducive to self-learning: you teach yourself bad things and techniques that a proficient instructor will spot and halt in a second.

Q.  Where is a good, reliable source of information on jewelry and the techniques related to jewelry?
   A.  There are two places: a) the "Gemcase" link on this website with its inexpensive ebooks, and b) Ganoksin Project - and you'll find them at http://www.ganoksin.com/. That's it! There's no better. For comprehensive, reliable and inexpensive information, these twosources reign on top of the mountain. Incidentally, you'll also find some good free info on this webiste's "GemLore" and "Videos" links. The rest are all looking up. Go to one of these sources when you want good, in-depth information.

Q. Why is gemstone polishing such an unpredictable art? Isn't there some kind of definitive rules for gaining a good, high polish?
A. Sorry, but definitive rules for gem polishing give way to general rules. That's because no two gemstones every present the same polishing condition. Colored gems DO have grain issues although they're not as severe as diamond. Try polishing on the cleavage plane of a kunzite and you'll gain a quick and heart breaking understanding of colored stone grain.

Because every stone's polishing demands differ due to changes in pH and hydrogen atom generation circumstance, here's a general rule: polishing agents apparently require a higher melting point than the stone due to the higher temperatues generated at the point of contact between the stone and the polishing wheel. This condition induces a chemical or molecular interaction between the stone and polish alike. It's this electro-chemical activity - and the production and conduct of hydrogen atoms - that is generated by acid's ability to reduce pH levels. So General Rule #1 is: introduce acid to the polishing mix.

Reduction of pH explains why a whitish polishing agent invariably turns color - to a dirty appearing gray - during polishing action and why a relatively soft polishing agent such as Cerium Oxide can produce a good polish on a hard material like quartz. Cerium melts at 2600 degrees Fahrenheit while quartz melts at 1600 degrees. It also explains why Linde A is respected as the most effective and dependable polishing agent. Its 2050 degree Fahrenheit melting point keeps Linde A well above most commercial gemstone materials. The higher the temperature differential the easier it is to polish the stone. Inasmuch as the hardest glass melts at 800 degrees, you can readily understand why even tin oxide (MP 1300 degrees) will give it a fine, quick flow polish.

Cerium oxide (also known as ceric oxide and cerium) is the most plentiful of the rare earth metals but it can be messy to work with in powder form. On Lucite, the colloidal CeOx makes a superb polishing agent for quartz and beryl ... especially when used as a "kicker" on a CeOx impregnated Ultralap.

The selection of an appropriate lap for polishing is not all that difficult either because, unlike cutting, the lap surface itself has relatively little to do with the polishing action. A lap functions primarily as a convenient and temporary carrier for the polishing agent with considerable pains taken to eliminate or minimize any contact between the facet and the lap surface. Still the generalized rule of

-- hard laps for hard stones
-- soft laps for soft stones appears valid most of the time.

Lap hardness does appear to have some influence particularly when using the oxide type polishes. In the latter case it has been observed that soft stones polish more readily on softlaps and the harder laps tend to produce superior results in hard stones. Copper, steel and zinc laps make excellent carriers for polishing corundum (Mohs 9), chrysoberyl and cubic zirconia (Mohs 8) and Spinel (Mohs 8).

Tin/lead, Phenolic and Lucite laps come into effective use for stones of moderate hardness. The more esoteric laps - wood, wax, vinyl, lead - are reserved mostly for soft gems. Keep in mind that lap hardness seems most critical with oxide polishes. The advent of graded diamond powders has changed things. Lapidary club "experts" contend that diamond can't be used effectively on very soft laps (or, as one experienced soft stone polisher said, "wanna bet?"), but remains extremely efficient on a tin/lead lap (hardness of 2) through a rather wide range of stone hardness conditions.

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