Home   >   Daily Wire Jewelry Tips   >   Daily Wire Tip Feb. 5: Resizing Gemstones

Daily Wire Tip Feb. 5: Resizing Gemstones

By on February 5, 2010
Print Friendly

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 05, 2010

Question:

I have some gem stones that the pavilion isn’t ‘right on’. Either the sides or the ends aren’t equal, one is longer than the other. Is there any thing that can be done to correct this, like having them recut?

Answer:

‘Mine-cut’ or ‘practice’ are usually the reasons for badly cut gemstones. Two things can make these stones usable in wire jewelry creations. 1. We work in wire so if the stone is large enough we can make a frame to fit the stone. 2. If the value of the stone is worth the cost of having it cut again, do an Internet search for ‘gemstone repair’; for a less expensive venture, visit your local rock & mineral club as they will more than likely have a lapidary who facets and may be willing to help you. Remember that when a gemstone is re-cut or repaired, you will loose quite a bit of the carat weight and probably quite a bit of the original size.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here

2 Comments

  1. avatar

    mary

    February 5, 2010 at 9:20 am

    I so understand where you are coming from on this. Years ago when I first got into jewelrymaking and such, I got a shopping spree from my DH on ebay. Now, not knowing any better I went for what we fondly refer to as “hunka chunka” stones for their size. Most of them were cut way too deep to even do anything with. That’s because of the company wanting to get as much carat weight out of them as possible.
    But, thankfully, I had joined our local rock club and one of the men in the club who does faceting volunteered to “recut” several of the stones for me by flattening out the deep pavilions of the stones.

    Yes, I lost carat weight but who cares, because when he was finished I had useable stones that I could recoup my money on. I learned a good lesson from that experience.

    Mary

  2. avatar

    David Gunny Bates

    February 5, 2010 at 11:43 am

    Thanks, That helps me to know what to do.
    David