Worth faceting?

[owleyes]

Hi all,

Just wondering how you decide whether or not you want to facet a gem, or estimate how big the final piece will be.

I have this stone and I think it would be really beautiful if it was cut following its natural pear shape. It's got a hint of staining on the top and bottom and about 17 mm from tip to base.

 

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[Jim in Idaho]

Sure, that can be faceted. Depending on the type of stone, it may have some value when finished. it would make a pretty gem, even if only quartz.
Jim

 

[Eu_citzen]

Depends on if I want to sell it (i.e. make money) or just cutting for fun. Those two are very different things.

Basically, its a matter of practice.

 

[owleyes]

Thanks for your responses!

To eu_citizen, I guess it's a combination of both--I want to have a ring made for me with the stone, but only if it's worth the money to facet. (I don't have any lapidary clubs in my area, I would have to send it to a service) I know cost will depend on the type of material too, but I am curious how quality is determined.

 

[Eu_citzen]

value is determined by: Colour, clarity, carat (weight) and cut.
Mineral species is (of course) also important.

I've done some faceting for a living and the cost of faceting is very dependent on if you ask a commercial cutter (= Low grade cuts, lower value) or a custom cutter
(=High grade cuts, high value).
If it's a small quartz, for the sake of saving expenses, it may not worthwhile to hire a custom cutter.

Hope that helps further.