It isn’t always easy…..
It isn’t always easy…..
Ok, so I’ve got a commission for a pair of 4mm pyrope garnets for a pair of earrings, and I need to us a specific sized dop. I look at my set and see that the dop I need already has a stone on it…
Then I remember why… this particular topaz I was cutting over a year ago and had nothing but trouble with it, and only got the pavilion partially done. Issues I had with this stone:
- difficult design
- popped off the dop, and had to reset and recut
- started the recut and noticed an inclusion in the center I hadn’t seen before
So, I decided I’m going to recut this with a simple design and finish it regardless of the inclusion.
Got the pavilion cut and polished, started the crown… popped off the dop. FML.
I reset and glued the stone back on, and stepped away for a few days to ignore it and regain my patience. 😉
I’m going to see how this turns out and will post here when it’s done. Wish me luck….
Oh gosh, I'm horrid at having half finished projects... Now you tell me I can leave stones on a dop for ages? I'm going to have to be militant with myself to avoid hoarding half-done gems. 🤪
Please share before and after photos if you can! I love seeing the difference, it helps me get excited about the few rough I have right now.
(PS my ultra tec will be here late September - it'll be a few months before I can post anything exciting 🥺)
Oh my, don’t think you can just put one to the side. Once it’s in the cutting head you need to finish it. Removing the dop from the cutting head and putting it back may not perfectly align the index.
In my case there is a good chance the stone isn’t perfectly vertical, and I’ll have a asymmetrical stone where the girdle is narrower on one side than the other.