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Faceted Gems - A Historical Article on the Methods and Equipment Used in Lapidary

This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience. Carefully selecting the best articles from our collection we have compiled a series of historical and informative publications on the subjects of gemology and crystallography. The titles in this range include "Gemstone Manufacturing" "The Optical Properties of Gemstones and Crystals" "The Thirty-Two Classes of Crystal Symmetry" and many more. Each publication has been professionally curated and includes all details on the original source material. This particular instalment, "Faceted Gems" contains information on the methods and equipment used in lapidary. Intended to illustrate the main features of faceted gems it is a comprehensive guide for anyone wishing to obtain a general knowledge of the subject and to understand the field in its historical context. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

View of polished chrysotile mineral beads, showing micro-veins of asbestos fibers within the greenish, serpentine host rock. The fibrous chrysotile can be disturbed through normal handling of the beads.

The polished, chatoyant effect that chrysotile exhibits owes itself to the fibrous nature of the mineral itself. In most chrysotile rough material, the appearance of white to off-white bands of fibers is characteristic of the ore.

Oftentimes, the fibers in ornamental mineral and other similar fibrous gemstone minerals, such as pietersite, yuksporite, denisovite, tokkoite, tiger's eye, hawk's eye, cat's eye, Arizona tiger's eye, binghamite, silkstone, etc., have been "cemented" together by replacement with silica quartz during a process called silicification.

However, the use of pure, fibrous chrysotile asbestos mineral material in this particular jewelry application is quite plain to see. Unfortunately, this situation may likely introduce asbestiform mineral exposures during the minerals' collection, handling, transportation, lapidary and jewelry-making process.

When working with the rough-form, asbestos mineral materials, imagine using high-speed lapidary saws, sanding, and abrasive rotary equipment on asbestos-bearing rocks. The possibility of excessive airborne silica exposures alone would seem risky enough without adequate respiratory protection and ventilation, but add asbestiform minerals into the mix and the whole process could be potentially hazardous.

Too bad I did not handle the lighting a little better on my first two shots of Bill's big diamond slab saw - he was in the process of cutting a large chunk of petrified oak. The saw runs pretty quiet and cuts very well, has special sensors to control feed and an automatic sharpening device attached at the rear of the blade. The round cylinder attached to the rear is a cetrifuge device to clean the cutting lubricant. Bill is a very good machinist and a good lapidary, as well.

I have have taken the Ameritool Universal grinding and polishing machine and added my steel diamond flat laps and poly resin master laps instead of the peel and stick paper sanding laps and the plastic backing plates you usually get with this machine.

Everything you need to finish a piece of rock into a finished gemstone

* (2) poly resin master laps
* (1) 100 grit steel flat lap
* (1) 260 grit steel flat lap
* (1) 600 grit steel flat lap
* (1) 1200 grit steel flat lap
* (1) 3000 grit steel flat lap
* (1) 8" felt disc
* (1) 8" leather disc
* syringe of 14000 grit diamond paste
* cerium oxide