Gemstone Information & Cutting Properties

This is a rough and gemological information section for anybody interested in faceting and collecting gem stones.

I am going to list the gemological properties as well as cutting and polishing techniques for any rough mineral material a faceter or collector may need.

Look in the section(s) or page(s) listed below for what ever mineral you are planning to facet and you will find all of the relevant cutting, polishing, laps, and techniques that any particular mineral may take to be cut and polished.

This data base is continually being updated and added to.

If you have any polishing tips, techniques and/or methods that you have found work for a particular mineral... and would like to add that information to this database to help out your fellow faceters.

Please contact me I will be happy to add any tips you may have into the relevant page(s) as well as give credit to the contributor.

I am trying to make this database an online help for all fellow faceters.

Note: Some of my actual cutting experiences differ from what some books say... I have listed my experiences.

Amber (yellow/brown)
Andalusite (brown/green/red/orange)
Apatite (blue to blue/green, yellow to yellow green)
Beryl - Cutting Information Index
Aquamarine (blue, blue/green)
Bixbite (pink to strawberry)
Emerald (green)
Helidore (yellow, yellow/green)
Goshenite (colorless)
Morganite (pale pink to pink)
Chrome Diopside
Chrysoberyl (yellow/green to yellow/gold) - Alexsanderite (color change red/purple to green)
Danburite (pink to colorless)
Feldspar Cutting Information Index
Bytownite (gold/brown)
Labradorite (clear/blueish/flashes of color like moonstone)
Orthoclase (yellow/straw colored)
Sunstone (gold/yellow, copper shiller, red/orange/green/blue spots of color)
Fluorite (almost all colors)
Garnet - Cutting Information Index
Almandine (red/orange to violet tint)
Demantoid (green, Emerald green)
Grossular (green, yellow copper, brown) - Tsavorite (chrome green)
Pyrope (red, red with a brown tint)
Spessaritie (orange to brown)
Uvaroite (Emerald green)
Glass - Apache Tears, Obsidian
Idocrase - someimes called Vesuvianite found near Mount Vesuvias (nice peridot green)
Iolite - Cordierite (blue/purple with light grey/clear axis)
Moldavite - Tektite (olive to a nice green)
Opal (opal clear, yellow, orange, red/orange)
Peridot (olive to apple green)
Quartz - Cutting Information Index
Amethyst (light blue/purple to deep purple/blue with magenta flashes)
Ametrine (blue/purple yellow/gold)
Citrine (yellow/gold to red/orange, red brown)
Clear Quartz (clear, colorless)
Rose Quartz (pink)
Smokey Quartz (grey, grey/gold/peach_
Treated Quartz (green/yellow)
Sapphire - Cutting Information Index
Color Change (all colors)
Padparadschah (pink/orange)
Ruby (red)
Sapphies (all colors)
Scapolite (yellow, clear, purple/lilac)
Sphalerite (green, brown, yellow, red, orange and colorless)
Sphene (rown, yellow, green, brownish-red)
Spinel (Red, purple, blue, lavender, green, pink, yellow (unusual), orange/peach)
Spodumene - Cutting Information Index
Hiddenite (Emerald green, yellow-green, yellow)
Kunzite (Pink, violet, cornflower-blue)
Synthetics - Cutting Information Index
Cubic Zirconia (all colors, color change)
Gadolinium Gallium Garnet (GGG) (all colors)
Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) (all colors)
Zincite (all colors)
Rhodochrosite (red/pink)
Tanzanite - (purple/blue) - Zoisite
Topaz (blue, clear, peach to pink)
Tourmaline - Cutting Information Index
Achroite (colorless)
Dravite (gold/yellow to orange)
Elbiate (watermelon, red/green rind)
Indicolite (blue)
Rubellite (red/purple/pink)
Schorl (opaque black)
Siberite (purple)
Verdelite (green)
Zircon - Cutting Information Index
Fancy Zircons (unusual colors, mauve, pink, red)
Hyacinth (butterscotch, yellow, brown to orange)
Starlite (blue)

E-mail to inquire or order: jeff@faceters.com