Van Nostrand’s STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS. BY THE SAME AUTHOR Gem Cutting—A Lapidary’s Manual Gemstones of North America Mineralogy—A Fiast Course Gemstones and Minerals JOHN SINKANKAS ‘Univesity of California Certified Gemologit» American Gem Society VAN NOSTRAND REINHOLD COMPANY ‘New York Cinta! Toronto London, MalounIntroduction to Gems Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (Second Elion) defines a. gem as “Any jewel, whether stone, pear, oF the like, having value and beauty that ate Intrinle nd not derived from ite eting: a precious or, some time, semprecious stone ext and polished for ortament.” Also, "A ‘eipredow Kon of value ae credo engaed a cameo or Fntaglio Inerewingly, below these definitions appears, in. modern tuage, Guat more frequently suggests a precious stone a8 cut oF poised: Jewnt, 2 precious stone asset and worn for ornament." "The profesional view ders somewhat a expresed in the Gemological Inaitute of Americx® Jeweler? Manual (1904): "Cex. (1) A cutand- plished stone cs the necenary beauty and durability for use {n jewelry: also, a fine pear. (2) An especially fine specimen; eg. a gem diamond: inthis use, che meaning depends on the ethics and the range ‘of qualities handled by the seller (3) As an adjective, a prefix: eg, gem ‘Talty, gem ental, ete. (3) Ata verb, to decorate with gems “The definitions above agree that a gem must be beautiful and valuable, snd that it must be cut and polshed so that it can be used in jewelry. ‘Webser's definition includes engraved gems since these are made from {hltable material and are ct and polished. Infact, unt sbout the turn fof the century, the word gem meant an engraved stone more than any thing ce, Today the meaning has broadened und ie embraces all Kinds ‘of cat stones, peas and even Jewelry ses fashioned Sls suchas atnber, coal jet and ivory. However, for sine rent fot apply to the large objects produced by the book end sutra, and carvings over an inch or two in ‘anifesly awkward to wedr upon dhe petion, Howeer, that meaning (2) of the Jeweler” Manual cled above fs still very much fn‘ue in the wade, chat I, the word gem means 2 superatve specimen,2 STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS enealy of superb color of bet intel quali, nly cut and other Wie heat and shoulders above the vast majority of tpedimene cet fom the same spies ‘Thus the term gem trois” as an example, rele to the fnew grade of Penian material, Lepore uniform bluc‘of the Highes poste nent, an fee of any defect whatever In thieatlog the tr gom wl be sed principally to denote ished stones ready to wea in jewel, util ao be ted in the sense of top uals dened wove” On she eer hand the term gemstone, oF, Simply, rough willbe used only to designate rough materi which has noc ht any lapary work expended pen fe “The term preciou fon, inoiced ove now neds defining. At one sme i wasted in narrow env to agly one of few vty har durable and beaufl minerals of considerable ray which tendionally had enjoyed the highes ence snce analy, Fe Diamond Chryobery CCorundum (Raby and apphite 0 Serene) re oe Desi he a a ks mia wat common ranked 45.8 precious stone an incu inthe above ls All other gemstones were abit lasied ser precious stones, teen which apy Ising favor beciine ite caeatally meaningless Thi betome deat hen one conser the very high pcr for large specimen of superar {ualy wich ertsin socalled “ashi precios” tongs suchas demtold {Gnaradt) or benitote cn command Wise thoy may ot be av durable fas betful in some renpecs tthe cabal preiow ones led Above, they nevertetes stein demand av ealleton tems, Als fis true that dlamonds, rubies, sappite, and other “precious” ones cer in poor specimens whic, In some fostancey sel at much lower pices tha he andi ob of era ely fo hes eons that dhe designations “precious” an semtpredour® ae being discarded ‘Another teen which ao losing round but which has mee to) ius favor is ornamental gemstones I was coins a csieaion for the mative or rock gemstones which found major employment in objects larger tan jewelry gunn, sahough some could be he cough in Suaity to fall into the Tavercxegry Included were such incl Malachite, mhodonite, serpentine, ste snd nephrit, chalcedony, and 2 humber of oder Agu the dtinctons bergen soch masie gene Sone and others of higher ronk ae poorly deed and its ot at al tmecmmon to See fe example of eh of these minerals employed fn Jewelry an cabochon sail pendant carving bendy cme, Ce “Another category of gemstone which i il in wei that of ere oF susual gemstone, generally meant to include that gemstones which ecu ntequeniy i ge quality shat they ave sncly known exept INTRODUCTION TO GEMS 3 t connor, Hete ae induded ana, aint, citer, ait Sa horncrupine, among others allo which are reasonably dul wr Ta Wet examples quite aac Inthe ls several dads sath preter number of Speier has eer. aded this category, Inctasing hose gemstones which by no zt ofthe imagination a Be ied mtons ion othe eter to be abi when Wor, cry Int this group fll such rg species as amblygonit, spate, late epee, and spelrit. Some sve ost or 4 ea eed that cating them a severe tet othe Inpidary sil, Beaute of tel Inesene néaknene, hey mun be forever consigned 0 soft folds of ig ingen Paper ovina coon out i an exh x a be scinfenelycacept av am empty genare. Nevertelesy many Tem bent tnd ers ete sun of a er pended on ctng them, they represent eonsidrable value fa sal febkage Mow of thse specie af et by amateur lapiares,parcclarty FRemere wnturome nko become bored with cating standart gensoneh id eagery Sethe challenge of ying someting new. Gradvally chee aie becoming secepabe to alleton,conotsenr, and item, ‘Pe he demand fr rough is incest fl» widening sarket for ‘he nied gems. “ule fg the gemstones dexived fom the mineral Kingdom dere sxc hve which owe ter ongn fo organ creation. The most portant SSuupte toh on above the pea, Pears ae concretions produced Salus and sary widely it shape and sractvenes depending ich self ows them: Tel ei ewelty and Stic among ancentcivlzaions aecstomad to hing in fet o at cs BS even alder than the ue of mineral gemstones By cam They ave been considered ns gemstones from time imiemorial. Other ‘dae materials dased av gemstones sre mothert pean amber, col {She el ory and es ar "A fn ecgry of gemstones i+ one that is becoming increasingly spotter naeely ste, Most te materi are the laboratory SGEiuens of sch valuable natural gemstones as ruby, sapphire, and Read bur one, sro hana, fas. no known counterpart in Stare le another sytheie rt has no nara match In eypect Treslr and tranpuricy. The commer sybess of gemstones andthe ‘ston atone without natural counterparts wil probly ince at {fe necuary growth conditions ae invesigated and economical mane {Being techigus developed “To nammarss there nvno quick and easy deition for dhe term me which is acepable on all count. Te covers = wide range of seri, Snough mos of them ar nner and rocks with ony few iting onan However, ti fe to sy that omamentaton, whether Tb of te person or etherwite, is the principal theme pereding our4 STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS ao of ems Tha enw tn of seme, isk Miele tics Bye hela free Mes enn ital nyu sacs nag nd aed and chon ee ian et ee ay aca ene eas Factors Inrtueneme sree “The facorsinuencig dhe ete in which gem are held ae few in number but extremely important Bec theyfso dicey ae lus ‘These ae eractvenes,darabiity, vay, fasion, and aes They ate ‘ot ed in ope by any ans and the predominance fone face ny ‘ompenste for shortcoming in ah Avmacriveness ‘The fascination fe for gems is mainly «visual appreciation of thelr beauty. There i litle dob that beauty ithe mos important quality that ay gm am hae, for without na gem o other ofmamenl gen one objet wil be highly pine, regards of what ef has to eto ‘mend it, Beauty lies mainly In void coloration, a inthe splendid fed ‘tthe ruby or the glowing areen othe ees tan alto Be in eu for shape, as Inthe symmetry of = wellewt faceted gem or the grecelul ines ofa tasteful carvings or ca ext inthe socal optical ees whieh the sled lapidary capable of developing in ch frstones sb sree acy of mento Bae acl pa Course aso highly portant expeiy i the sparking relecony re Combined with fae far highly Apersve gem Alof thee, and thers to numerous to mention inlence the austin we fe for fs Coxon “The importance of color cannot be overemphasied. It is one of the aes impressions registered upon out senses when we fie our attention ‘epon any abject, Studies of human response to colors show that per ‘pion of hue is best in the central part of the spectrum and derenses toward cither end. Thus, yellow green, yellow, and yellow-orange will, appear brighter ata rule than the bugs whieh range Irom yellowegreen {0 violet, and liom yelloworange to Ted. Further, a colors ae ebnerved INTRODUCTION 70 GEMS s in the decease light of evening, tore a the extremes ofthe spectrum, ‘uly red and vse, sem to Become darer while hove mat the ener tend vlan her vil Sse of colored gems hs means that {arsed bles or violet goss are Tess ikely to "hold thee hues in {rening lamination that yellow, orange, or yellow green gems. For {Ee peion contemplating baying expensive colored ger Jewelry mesnt {o'be worn mata at evening fection le would cealy be wise 10 en the jwely under the expected lighting candiions rather than er thesdo exfetlly provided in the jewelry ore. Grave dppoint ‘ments may be avoided “an interesting sdlight to modern studies of color perception ie th suey toward the volt endothe spect, the socalled "cool color tend fo depres sprit, while thre foward the oer of “warm” end of the spect tend to tac, Thee human tesctions to color have beet Simp) demonstrated in woiahop and ofe environments and may por {ly play important roles in peroal seeeptance or rejection of certain ‘Slorin gem "The prcteence of individuals for specie colors it well established bat mt wl know ie rave nactnen of aloe gem in eral ‘The mou auractve colors appent to be thove which ae pure SStirich in hey auch at red, gee, blue, purple, orange, and yellow. Of these hues the ise three afe more attractive, while purple and orange fre ighly les so, There isa sbstantal drop of fatret in yellow ner alto rapidly wanes inal hues whieh Become increasingly darker Gr ight, The lene tre payed in gemstones hich are some Shade of brown, particularly i thy tend to be quite dark, Black and Site gemutoney ae ao onatractve asa rule, although they may be opue for brief periods evidenced by the Lavish use of jet inthe Vie (ols cr Calorcs gens are generally unatractive ones 2 the ce ‘ot faceted diamonds they display god briliance, preferably with good ‘persion or “Bre” as an added feature “Fhe presence of color important even in those gems which are offered primar for tei dipay ef opal ers eg the shen in moonstone, {he opangls of aventerine, oF the bright ines of reflected light which Ippet insta and ee stones. Between two moonstone, for example, one ‘Bbpayng Bush ght sod the ober avery Hight the blue one will te hectred tothe ery one bythe majority of prions. ‘This preference ols tue ta virtually all Kinds of lpidary objec wheter they be ‘Bete gms cabochon, o carvings. Donaaury "The ability of gems to resist normal wear while set in jewelry is 2 pefecly understandable requirement and needs no supporting” argu6 STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS rents, Durability depends upon mineralogical hardness, or the {o reat abrasion, and pon foughnes, or reitance 0 facture. Som ‘eaable mineral, suchas tops, while quite hard and cally capable of ‘essing normal abrasion, are sometimes spi in two by relatively weak bows Others. such as jadete, whose single crystals ae easly cleaved, ‘cea in compact mass where thin potential weakness overcome DY {he intertckng of numerous minute sas lato» material of suomi ingroup. The generally accepted rule of thumb for clawifying gemstones +4 durables that they be as fard or harder than guart: The table below ‘hows the Mohs Sele of Hardnes which is used for gemstones as well 4 for ordinary mineral It merely indicates which gemstones are harder {Man others and doesnot give sacle hardness, Mons Seale of Hardness 1. Tale (softest) 2. Gypsum: satin spar, alabaster 8. Caleita: cave ony 4 Fluorite: “ue john” Apatite 6. Feldspar: moonstone, T. Quarta: amethyst, evrine, eto 5. Topas 9. Corandum: ruby, sapphire 10, Diamond (hardest) Many autores state that all gems will eventually be abraded somvophai dn snd he treo wanes eogt inte me Snd buildings because thee consin ne pris of quart (ardor, unl gens ae harder tan quart dame wl ut. Moweves severity of this kindof sbraot has never been convincingly demo ‘eae di he fer are ta very ior fect i bas any eet at all snd that mon damage o pes Fels Irom crces rentment while being worn or om allowing ga oa eee jin jewelry boxes or drawers. see a hile drabiity fast wnchallenged virtue, exceptions to the rule areimade Ifthe gemstone happens to poses ‘ome other ovtanding quality. Perhap the best cxstple + opel, whichis both a sole and itd mineral (hide to). eis lable vo damage whe beng ‘worn that jewels ae fequey called upon fo demoun opal om & ‘tomers ting and send if for repolshng Dept his handicap, opal commands very high price in fine specimen becrse no other geste ‘Snimatch ite ditinctive besuty. Other stand weak gesstones which are ‘Snider acceptable for went been of ter otanding beauty ae ‘Moonsone, pertot, and We sathetegemwone strontium lana INTRODUCTION 10 GEMS 1 Ran Tris human mate to teaure the rare, sometimes for rarity’ she avin” Atong gems, fox example sym by has never Ben highly cee Une EE ruby bectuse i made in relavely enormous quan- FeEGa'h deretore much too common, On the other hand, synthetic ESS by carefully controlled from manufacture co Gna rel le i ‘Ei ute vcommand good price because ts both Beautiful and cere tig ver than erdinary wanoparene synthetic material, While saree tas can be fll ne angiomas tee naturel counterpart rans gdan of equal quality or even of much leer quality nda ready Tantei sel for mech ger pes ‘The preference fr the natural Fe highly portant human aco. Batty. s wil be shown, can bea handicap ges 100 tis wel town among dese ne objets ans, a Jol er Tedone tay penon cat appreciate the worth of maxerpic, he see hae palte out to hn io the factors which make such a item ‘Ealaul dn the cae of wellknown gems such ax amond, roby, op filter aa emerald naely every prospective buyer shear and rend PRU dhom om chilahood. By the Une he becomes an adult, he hat ‘Wolly ed in his mind that there goms are precious beaut, and Seat te has even acrepted one gm, the diamond van indapensable ‘atta the engagement rng. The average jeweler does not have (0 cot ite the bldegroomotbe that he should buy hit fancte a diamond ree chcat rings dis has alrendy Been done for him, and ce ae nego cere ay wel wo ee rach mundane derail a quality, se nd rice This Boppy euafon fo the jeweler does not apply in the ase of iy they are not wellknown, Thus, he ransparent some and durable gem, i really stable corso se unwsal beease I so rare and Mee eso tncertsn that no one Ose wade wishes to risk a promo: ‘onal Campaign to aeqasnt the public with its virtues in the hope that eatable ale wil result, Beease ofthe problems briefly touched upon Free de vast majority of retailers in gems and. gemsct jewelry avoid ‘nding are or unusual gemstones and Suck othe “ste” standard gems fihich need no educational campaign to insute 2 supply of informed only to connobseurs oreo Fassnox "The factor of fashion is ose related to those of attractiveness and sei Win ou conan mace psy may notte arene Ban) dad today’s standards anay be aaplaced by others tomorrow. By eae Mttndards, black gems are not attractive and are seldom wornIv Faceted and Cabochon Gems “This chapter deals with the wo major spes of eat gems: faceted gems anc cabochon gems. Faceted gers are covered wih small Hat surtaces filled facets, while cabochon gems feature 2 top surface of smoothly Founded shape, and a bottom surlace whichis usualy, but not alway, te There ate many varlations in both types as wil be sen, “The first part of the chapter taker up the mechanical aspects of the lapidary ar among them, attention o correct proportions and angles fn the tae of faceted. gems, proper cumature i the case of cabochon. ‘ems, and perfection of pois in bth. The next section deals with sles Sf cuting for both type of gems and gives numerous sketches to show ‘he paterns of facets employed in faceted gem, the profile of eabochons, tnd’ otherfeatares which appear in modern gems. The lst section ‘atalog of faceted and eabocton gems ranged alphabetically by see nd varieves at before, with comments on quality, size, and other om Sideratons important tothe prospective buyer Facere> Gras "The effectivenes of faceted gems depends on the fact that the bowom. part of the gem, oF pavilion, cts like 4 mitvor- The light falling on the {op of the gem pases through the wanspatent material, strikes the pa vilon facets and is relcted upward to return to the eye. The use of many facets cause a daaling duplay of individual sparking reflections which change and sift as the gem Is turned; these result im the fect Known as Brilionce, ‘Base Cornve Sretse To achieve these reflective eflets, ewo basic types of facet cuts are employed the sep eut (ot emerald cut asi is alo called) and the britna STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS me FIG. 15. The two most common facet gem cits, the standard bein and the sep et lian ext, Both are shown in Figure 15, From them, and from combing tions ofboth styles, stem all ofthe many variation that have developed ‘The wep cat consis mainly of parallel rows of sriplike facets, or step, 1e has been used most effectively for emerald snd other colored. ge stones such as aquamarine, topar and tourmaline. Ie has also bean sed for colorless gemstones, including diamond and siteon, but not as fre quently as the biliant cat. The tater Is preferred for coords or very ‘indy colored gems, because the greater number of facets in the brlisnh FACETED AND CABOCHON GEMS ny ext cates more complex and, thus, more interesting reflections. In the fase of the dlamond, it brings out the property of dispersion, or the ‘pling of white light into ts colored components, much Hike 2 glass frism splits x beam of sunlight into the vivid hues of the spectrum. Sometimes we see dispersion at work when 1 besm of ight shes 2 ‘utglas vate or pitcher, oF etingly, we sce ie along the beveled edge lan old fashioned plateglat irr, In diamond, this optical propery Is very strong, and i the gem is faceted correctly, i results in numerous bite of vivid color flashing from the gem when its eld beneath 2 good ‘onds, which produce ales spectacular dispersion. “Another important consierston in chootng bewween a step of bri Hint uti the need to reduce or dliguse the disiguring reflections shih arse from inclusions or defects within the gem. In general, very {ight Baws can best be hidden in the general dazse of reections ats ing from the brilliant cat rather than in the telauvely few suiplike reflections arising from the step cut A notable exception to this rule Jin the emerald. When it cont | evenly spaced incla- sions, called jardin, or "gutden,” that no syle of cutting will disguise thelr presence, the sep ct is considered acceptable although, of course, the brlfany of reflections is greatly reduced and an - fupplants the normal, sharp relctions RerRaction Ano Ins Epvecrs “The supreme considerations in taneparent faceted gems are thatthe ‘acts be placed the cotet anges to eachother and thatthe shed fe bave nary the proportions shown In Figure 1. These angles and [Poportons were derived fom many years of gem-uting experience ac “nulated by lapidaties the work ovr and have been sentially cob feed in modern tines ‘The angles and proportions vary from one gem: ‘one species fo anther because the property ieren in every gemaone iowa a efition, or the ability of gemstone to reflect snd bend light ays, alo varies according to species Ech species ha ow chat refraction which te jeweler snd gemologt messre instrament called the refractometer when teing gem The Stength of retraction igen a number called the efrctive dex. The "ober is high in diamond, and low in ope The efect ofthis ier ‘Boe inrelractve power canbe rally sent twe eller brillant gems, she of dattond nde ot opa, bath cet, colori and awe are placed side by side. ‘The enormose bilance of the diamond for ur Fes that of the ops. “Gems of lower versctve powers, such as opal, quarter (amethystng STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS dtsine, rock cyt, ete), and beryls, muse be cut somewhat deeper in the pavilion than those of higher retractve powers such as diamond Sitcom sphene, and strontium Ulamate. Thus, Hf one took two corectly IDEAL OR AMERICAN BRILLIANT CUT $10 dina 0084 rin 555 —| [MODERN DEPARTURE FROM THE IDEAL CUT, FEATURING A LARGER TABLE AND LESS CROWN DEPTH LL reoies 57-60% Pawlion aa FIG. 16, Balan cots oemmonly employed for damond proportioned round brilliant gems ofthe same diameter, one of diamond, nd the other of rock asta it would be apparent at once that the pvlion of the diamond was not ar deep a8 that of the rock arial Popidisie ate well awate of the efets of relration and take this prop- FACETED AND CABOCHON GEMS as cy imo consideration while cting gems, adjusting the proportion: Sed anges to si the velracive Index of eich gemstone ‘sigh departures fom del angles and proportion can be made wit cout sous harn to brilliance shown ta Figure 16, where thee Btintane cu for diamond and moder variation ae lagrammed. Tere fre obviously suboantal ferences in them, yet if to diamonds of idtnial color and city sre cat to the stne meter, one i the Seal Giand the eter Jn fa yvation, ft vitally Impose, without Spec lightening lsum (0 detec cnstenlywhid one ie brltene ener more Ubertics with angles and proportions can be aken with gumstones of higher efactve Index tha wih those Whos ene The owers are len the higher Index gemstones there is greater Wocfve ot reletve an refcve pone and appreciable deviations tom deal cuting sl provide exe riane This aitade narrows ts the relate index decrees, unl for gemstones of low refractive in anges and propordons ‘Dratie departures from proper suigles and proportions rest in equally rate loner of Hight 98 own Sn Figure 7-1 the facets are angled 100 Stceply, they fail fo elect de light within the gem and much is lost, theugh the back facets ofthe pion. A gem eat too shallow produces 1 Yoo suuiom 1 1 wo eer Crom enor + FIG, 17 Sie vows of fcsted gems showing How incorect angles wil rest in evou ler of light trough Se booms ofthe gems26 STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS 1 gray area inthe center called “hole.” A gem cut too deep results in 2 general los of briliance ora praynes; the gem is marked by feeble, Father than song, rellections, Both of thew eflets are best observed by holdings gem undernenth a good ight and looking down upon the top Errecrs oF Incuisions ow BuLLinnce ‘One or two spots specks, minute css, mall racks, etc, donot greatly ace the tte snout of ight which returned to the eye in Froperiy co gems abou hey may be igang beens pete i erry is enabled he esl for faceted stones Hower, 8 the Thctony incase, they begin t-nattr light caning the rays to da tifa angles other than those died. Many of thee ras sply expe Airough the sides of the gene and contribute nothing to. iliane ‘Eventually the pont i read where so mh ight sot that only 2 fecle gw appear on tp, ain the jin emeralds mentioned eve. nsrne loath occ in thove gomone materials which are only tae Iceni av chaledonien for example, which const of ery, any Ctrl smal esas grown together ia compact mass. As the ae ol the individual cals owe suller andthe spaces between them {row salle too, light has ss opportunity tobe deviated fom is path more seus to the ee; such material is highly translucent, and Sometine, ain the cate of wllamate serpentine, actually provides Fy musactory lasted gems In- gemstones cht are normally tans parent, sch str, pp, and quar, very small Inclusions com> Fooly occur which hough abundant are too mall tobe sem leaey Irth the key, Neverlem hey serious fntenere withthe pas {age of ight sn tune much sateringy laced gem eo rom this art ‘tnaterbl can bes gest dappinuent tothe lnpidary who expected Sls gam for Hs ere Ger gemtones ely to have such ‘aso atthe Bie sapphire of Kami, owe quart some hearted Sion om Thailand sd the green scons of Ceylon. Sometimes the incon ae smal tat chy cannot be sen under highpower mag nintion, nevertheey, thelr ptsnce i ally detected bythe glowing, ‘teepy” look ofthe finished ges. Deuimznate Desanzures rose Inest. ANGUS AXo PROFONTIONS Dring the above discussion the reader may have gained the impresion that here can be no excise for cting faceted gem in other than correc, Angles and proportions. Actvaly, there ate good and sulcient reasons for departing from the ideal a will be seen, copecilly when it Is com sidered that ost gems are meant for setting in jewelry (Consider the sepeut gem Ges. In ths tle of cutting, the bottom FAGETED AND CABOCHON GEMS ay ie of facets mst be ct he beans atthe proper angles i all ‘Elccion of light it take place fom them, It they are ct too sallow Tecangular hole" appears and it several bottom pas of fasts are {ua tv dhallowy the hole bevomes een larger, Unfortunatly in order fo besue tha thee bottormsnoa facta ar et atthe proper angles, the inpdary ms cit al of the ones above at steeper angles, The net rel ithar any propely shaped mepest go man be eomiderably deeper than sanded bilanecut go of eesly the sme with, These rl tions can be appreciated from ve diagrams of Figute 15. In wall Sones the Inceased depth is ot a gest drawback, but in large gems {Specly those meant for sags, the Inresed depth ress ina bulky ffm whch rns wo high above the ring Binge tha I beomes tp ear. Eis 'an, and doc, esl nthe ene Ting slewing sideway 1 the Aion he wes: Tor hs es age ep ing one omionly cut under the proper pavilion anges ‘This make the Sone ie bil of cour, bat Te ako mater le topheavy and more CSrforible to wear. ‘Phe dein to buy such a gem is mater of [esl elena get breath mnt, hen ns Bs acrid to some extent. in other instances, snes cut aballower than was, of “spread” as sh exert pt ye inno shaped thi ay 0 Sune raxlmush etn from poorly shaped rough espctally i the Iter Sapemive Thi i's common pavice mong diamond eater and i tee departures om ideal proportions ae ot 100 gest, sataatory Ieitiance rst a shown in Figure 1, In sl other stance, hallow fating wed when eoored gernones would e too dark Hf it to the rope dep Jats atgory are some very dssk geen or blue tou Eley, dak blue sapphites, and, among ihe reer gemstones, blue Inte and dar brown suite ‘On the her hand, the principal reson for cating gems to deep is erly to recover ct weight a pnsble fom the rough and thas toensts higher pie for the fnsed gem om the bss of weight Such txceively deep gems are pariularly common among the sapphires cat Teal n Ceylon the clongated eas of whch Tend Chesees wel 0 thr ekagertel deporte from aceed proportion. The appearance tome’ the ges fv kethed in Figure ,In some speamens the length iso gree that they resemble carte in shape The mative eter tod the metchane ho Gapore of such gems to Went Buyers know pertain they min be ree i hy tet wl Hoop othe Unite tte, bur they renon Gat fate customers or tse fom India are wiling 1 acepe such gems, then Wenern cistomerssbould 1 wing to dot too may be remarked in pang that Ceylon and Indian faced gems ae sho emarkabl for thet Tack of perfec syne tryin the placement of facets, ier of facet and even angles for oppose8 STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS PACETED AND CABOCHON GEMS ng J GROSSLY ELONGATED GEMS (CUT FROM THE CRYSTAL, TyPIcat Sarpnine omsral i oe = ae _ Faowe mroreay ‘nes noc natn rons YG 18 Poy spel tel gs om Cain peel by ‘he atv cuts FIG, 10. Exusively thin gles on footed gems can ea esl fm chipping. rs of faces; In fact, they may be so sloppily cut that itt obviows the lpidary was only concerned with more or less rounding off he rough merely point out that the increased elegance of the gem is suficient facets using minimum cate t0 achieve a far degree of billanee. | renom for employing such extra facet, especialy if rather large sone hallmarks are so well known among sembers of the jewelry to be set in'a claw mount which would expore most of the girdle to teade, at they can recognize these "nativecot” gems at glance ‘view. There ho quedon tha dhe later reson the eter of the two, that another reaton can also be advanced in support of polished, if not faceted, pidles—they are less likely to chip during sting. Gross ‘The thin band which separates the crown, or tp ofthe gem, from the ae Gots As AN Desicaron oF QUALITY pavition,oF bottom, i know asthe girdle. I may or say nat be polished, T#* " o ‘or covered with very smal facets A girdle which i o0 thin i ikely By examining the acuricy with which the facets ofthe crown meet the chip when the jeweler sts tin jewelry, as shown in Figure 19. f'che facets of the pavilion along the girdle, even the inexperienced person i idle oo thik, it results in clumsylaoking gem. "The proper girdle ] able to judge the relative skill of the iapidary. It goes without saying 5s neler too thin nor too chic, combining graefl thinness wih ae] that che oiled workman will pay equal atention to al parts ofthe gem quate thicness to resi the strewes applied to it when sized by the | and not just to those which are most obvious. Ose or mismatched faces are shown in Figure 20 along with other citing errors that can be ng which secure the gem to i mou So “ = fasly detected with the naked eye or under low ihagnifcation, Such Sometimes girdles are seen which are covered completely by a serie, of sry smal, evenly spac facets instead ofthe sat matte fish Tee fF lets are seldom glaring but they depart fom the Ideal and ae lent by the nial grinding of the rough gemone to give i spr. The spe that the base material ofthe gem was not considered worthy of makers of such gems usually dismondauiters chim that some light is | the best cttog kil, or that the Ipidary was sloppy in his work. Tei reflected back into the diamond which would otherwise be lost. Otherr almost an invariable rule in the lapidary arts that the fnext materialsuso STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS ca extraracets+ racers 00 ‘TOP FACETS NOT ALIGNED- NOT MEET WITH BOTTOM FACETS. EXACTLY ‘TABLE FACET NOT PARALLEL TO GIRDLE: FACETS NOT CUT PARALLEL IN STEP CUTS FACETED AND CABOCHON GEMS wa on the verge of obliterating all traces of the orginal crystal faces At this poine he ope grinding snd leaves behind one or more inate Hat ‘pote which are the natural previously referred to. It these spots are Ault mall and inconspicuous, they can be hidden easily behind 4 prong, POSSIBLE LOCATIONS OF ENATURALS™ ON DIAMOND GEM (maxi oF FOUR) 6S FIG, 20. Canmon faetngerort which dors the vale of gemstone, resent to the fnert cutee for treatment, Onky by doing this wil it be Poul co realize the fllest potential value of the tough. Thus, every Indication of poor cutting should make the buyer supicious of quality, and, of cours, of real value. This rule i rigidly applied to the mot fxpensive rough and relaxer as the rough becomes cheaper, until the ‘mow slapdash lapidary work generally appears upon gemt cut from the Poorest rough. Hone examines parcel of round diamond bilan, be i ure to sez sooner or ltr, pecllariy whieh i conned ony To the diomond ‘This ithe existence of sal a aps slong the ge, eaed naturel hich glen brightly in marke contre the dll snface ofthe rest ‘tthe girl. There may be one on atthe mon, four nich spots crenly Spaced around the periphery. They are emmants ofthe aura face the diamond esa n ths cs, the octahedron. A thn in Figure 2, they reste wen the cater ginds 9 aecton of the eye into 2 Sieur culine, part of which to become the give ofthe Bed ‘To avoid los of mater, he grinds sway the ekcessGamond unt Re ENLARGED VEN OF SIROLE "NATURAL" APPEARS As: SMOOTH AREA ON NORMALLY ROUGHENED GIROLE FIG. 21, esis of natural cytl faces slang the gle of fceted diamonds or bead during setting, but if dey are noticeable to the naked ey, the Stone bearing them isnot cut aswell as should be, Naturals ave defects, although inthe diamond wade they reconsidered relatively unimportant Unless they are conspicuously lage ‘A crious departure fom logic in faeting occurs when dismond eaters place a small facet squarely upon the tp of the pavilion, as shown In Figure 22 This de called a cuiet There ts no question that this facet destroys the ability of small area near the tip t propery reflet light, yet through longstanding tadition, this euet i sl placed on rilane {at gems. Several reatons have been advanced as vo why itis there, among then, that t prevent spliting ofthe gem. ut none ofthe feason sem valld! However, the eulet docs verve ata check ofthe lapiary’s skill be ‘ause I ouline forms 4 minute, more or le regular octagon, Ifthe Sides of the octagon ate all of the same Tength and the angles betwee them are equal, i indicates that the large pavilion facets above ae asowa STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS: gE eh EMLARGED, aortouview euler ‘CULET IG, 22. The cet fet on eat diamond very evenly and accurately cut. On the other hand, if the octagon is Tpregular or miishapen, ie indicates poor cutting, Sunrace Fees ami ancy ny acd gam i che oly we th fact are cit at ft a poole and poset the higher degree of Smootines. ‘The quality ot sriace fis highly portant in eabo {on gem aio, pry in those plying specie opticalcflecs Sek sluar stoned cates tnd montonte A pees pol so greatly ‘hance the py af oe opal ‘Butt return to faceted geo tf wellknown dhat the latest of facets andthe perfection of pith is bese achieved on the hardest gem Stone Ts czmond, harder ofa capable of bing et and pitied # perfec tht electron microscope photograps show scarcely any kind of race hneglaiy even st magni of thowrnde of tine Th ‘apa ae St oy aro fo he mre of he don isl But alo to the itn lps which are we for eating and poling ‘Neel diamond etter hoepr his Ips in top condition 40 a8 404d ‘ny te of reglary onthe facets couse bythe oor wich appear onvany kind pol paler ne, nef ar ha ‘mond very commonly show mine parallel poled groove, prt Spon the lage table face and indae thatthe cater allowed the one {@ ex to long onthe same pace on the lap Tn contrast othe “pol ‘mars ae they ae alld, bre the mime scrings, with ragged ges ‘hich esl trom tearing ofthe srace ofthe gem: There tes may be {evo ual passa gic caught sn the sao the lp oo ioe FACETED AND CABOCHON GEMS 33 Iragments of the gem itself which have broken loose and ploughed through the facet Under the force of the spinning Tap Surface defects are most likely to appear upon the cheaper gemstones, here the rate of production must be high to keep lapidary charges low. ‘Too much attention cannot be given to individual stones, and this, tsually shows up when the facet surlaces are examined with low-power ‘hagalfieston wnder a good light. Synthetic ruby, sapphire, and spinel ‘ten show a serie of very smal crack on fcee junctions which are due {o the ral of sueses within the material creted by the meted of manufacture, They are commonly called “Bre marks” because i is be Five that they arise fom polishing cha i to rapid, and, hence, too hou Many of tee cracks ae 0 small that a magifeation of about 2x fr more 1s required to see them well. While "ye marks” and ocher surface defects may not be readily visible to the naked eye they nevertheless ease scattering of light from the sur Ieee ofthe gern and deceate the total briliance that eould have other ‘wte een developed, olter gemstone, particularly those which are cut only for collectors, pwesent many problems in polishing and are those most key to show Poithing detec Some of them cannot be polished well except on sft ed yielding las, with the rvult thatthe feet junctions are noticeably founded, While» good brilisnc i obtalned, the reflection usualy 1a the erspnes of welleat gemstones of greater hardnes “Aside from the exceptions noted for soft stones, welleut and wel pulsed faceted geme should daplay good proportions, Nat fees of Fegular shape and all ofthe same sa in any pteular row of lke facets, ‘lurate junctions besmee facets without overlaps or gape and a smooth, ‘daoy polish, prtcalarly on the large snd highly Important table fact atte and polishing marks should aot be visible othe naked eye, In ‘he diamond tad, where quality geades are strictly defined, none ofthese ‘sfcts should be visible under 10x magnification. Additional diamond trade practice rule, as promulgated by the US. Federal Trade Com ‘ison, are fuaished under the Diamond listing CanocHios Gans Tecate cabochons are entirely handshaped, the final curved surfaces depend for thelr geometieal pefetion upon the sill ofthe lpiday. ‘The Hea! cabochon should be symmetrical in profle and oui, both of hich can be ealy determined by vial inspection. ‘The base of the Cabochom should have slight evel placed all the way around so that the jeweler will not chip the stone when he sts it into 2 mounting. The bevel is shown in Figure 25 along with some common shaping defects, ‘which detract from the quality of cabochon gems4 STANDARD CATALOG OF GEMS Jn mamproduction cabochons, especially those from dar Obersein jn Germany, sd some jadete from Hong Kong, the form is achleved by finding on hardsurfaced laps, leaving numerous small fa ateas over the surface. Sometimes these ate not entirely eliminated by subsequent smoothing operations and appear as vestger upon the fnlshed stones. ‘These ae aio counted as defects, and one may be quite ture that the presence signifies an inexpensive mateal whigh the lapidary shop did ‘ot conser worthy of the adlcional labor required to make the sur ror view ‘TOP CURVATURE NOT SYMMETRICAL \ f Co) sve vew at spor ee PROFILE. SIE VIEW on Coes Too SHARP ri ORNOBEVEL coRRECT BEVEL FIG, 2, Common shaping enor In eabuchon gems 4 such as wwith grt faces truly smooth, On the other hand, more expensive mat fine jadeit, chryoprase, and exteye chrpobery, ate treat ‘are In respect to shaping and finishing, A special defect of jadeite eabochont is the development of numerous small shallow pits over the polished surface becawe of improper pois Ing techniques. The appearance mach resembles the lightly irregular surface of an orange of lemon peel, snd, appropriately enough, is Bown among lapidarie as a "lemon peel” finch ‘Fhe developenent of this kind (of wurlace is dificult o avoid due to the nature of the gemstone Tel Bat the polnt i ic can be avoided, and when prevent, lessens the ve ofthe gem ® FACETED AND CABOCHON GEMS a5 Provonrions oF Canoctons ‘The proportion of cabochon gems vary widely, some being quite thin In elation to thelr widdh, others being quite thick, Gemstones displaying far, ctsye, and moonstone effects most be cut reaonably thick 10 sharpen” the Tine of light in the case of the frst two and to induce strong sheen in the civ of the las ood star and eje ffets require thae the thickness of the cabochon be from 14 t9 Y4 the width good ‘oonstoone effects ate seen with the sme proportions but do not lesen treaty until the thickness reduced to sbowt 14 the width, depending on Fw strong the efect isin the rough wed. Cateye gems, particulary hryoberylcatseyes, often are eat with high tops and sharp curvatures tthe crests, somewhat elongated along the steak of light ifthe sone [selliptical ‘The sharp cuvatute narrows the line of light toa very thi, neatly bright lin which enances the gems value, Very shallow curva: tres mist be wed on gemttones whose optical diplay oF patterns of Inclusions (eg, tree agate) appear in place sometiznes the curvature is 50 hallow thatthe top ofthe cabochon i neatly at, Gemstones which must be cut this way ave labradorite, sunstone and tee agate, Precious opal often shaped inthis manner, especially back opal, whose rough moaty ‘cout in din seam sttions wo begin with On the other hand, the tans- cent Mexicansype opal appears best ifthe cabochons are shaped as pro- portonately chicka star gems "The srength of material alo 2 major consideration in determining the depth of cabochon gems. For example, weak materials such as mala ‘hite and rhodochrosice must be cut fairly thick to prevent breakage Alring, wear, bue very tough materials such as jadeite, nepeite, and ‘hedonite cam be cue quit thin. Another Important consideration isthe total weight ofthe cabochon, especially i tis large in area, I eut too {hick e may weigh ao mu tha i hangs heaily and awkwardly in a pin or pendant, much to the discomfort of the wearer. ‘AvormonAt. Norss oN SraK AND CATSEVE Gans, Moowsronss, Ere As previously explained star. and eatseyecausing inclusions, and thove responsible for moonstone, sunstone, and other sheen or color effects, ‘crn certain planes in the host erysal. I up to he cutter to examine the rough to determine how he can est cut t fo place the special ect ‘qurely on top where it belong. If the optical dsplay doesnot appear oh top, i wil be seem well only trom onesie instead of from all sdes ‘depending on how much dhe ideal direction i deviated from. Becate ofthe high value of star and catieye gems of good t0 fine quality, native ‘ter, pariclarly in Ceylon, attempt to make each gom as Large as