Recutting, Repairs and Cutting Your Rough Stones
We now offer a full custom cutting service for your rough,
damaged or badly cut gemstones. The labor rate is $35 per hour
and all work is at the risk of the person who owns the stone(s).
It is extremely rare for a cut stone to present any surprise flaws
during recutting, but it does happen when cutting rough stones.
Some have been treated or are stressed and want to fracture during the
preforming or faceting process. Examples of stressed stones
include some tourmalines, topaz, tanzanite and others. When we
buy rough, we do so knowing there is some risk involved and if you
purchase rough stones, you should expect a bad one once in
awhile. Usually we can spot a stone that may have issues before
we start working on it, but not always. You can get a great value
by purchasing rough and having us cut it, if you are able to tolerate
the slight gamble that not all of your stones will be cuttable.
Please contact us before sending any stones. When we
receive your stones, we will evaluate them at no charge to you and
email some ideas about how they could be cut to maximize their value,
beauty and approximately how much labor might be involved.
Below are a few examples of what we can do to imrpove the
appearance of the typical commercially cut stones that have windows and
are usually "mixed cuts" (step cut on the bottom and brilliant on the
top). The average recovery for rough stones is about 1/3 of the
original weight and for recuts, about 2/3 of the original weight, but
usnally all or nearly all of he original face-up size. The
recovery is better if the crown or top of the stone is well cut and it
has a reasonable girdle, allowing for a recut of only the bottom of the
stone, which is where the problems are usually located with badly done
commercially cut gems.
This sapphire needed only a recut of the bottom or pavilion and went from 1.55 carats to 1.16 carats, but the same face-up size.
This spinel was recut from a 2.56 carat mixed round to a 1.30 carat round brilliant.
This sapphire was recut from a 1.65 carat oval into a 1.07 carat emerald cut.
This sapphire had large, visible flaws in one end and was recut from a 5.13 carat emerald cut into an eye clean 3.26 carat fancy radiant cushion baguette.
This sapphire went from being a 3.37 carat slightly deformed short oval with a off-center pavilion to a nicely symmetrical 2.20 carat fancy round brilliant cut.
GO TO MAIN PAGE or use your browser's back button to return to the previous page.